The local and federal government are focused on the Paterson Police Department after two officers are accused of assaulting a man and lying about it.

The charges against the officers come as Passaic County announces it will take over the department’s Internal Affairs Division.

Officers Kevin Patino and Kendry Tineo-Restituyo are accused of assaulting 19-year-old Osamah Alsaidi. The incident was caught on video. Alsaidi is seen walking down the street as the officers get out of their vehicle. Some words are exchanged and then the officers appear to assault Alsaidi.

“It took a video like this to bring it to the attention…The video actually was not sufficient. It took pressure from the public and from our office,” says Selaedin Maksut, of the New Jersey Council on American-Islamic Relations.

The incident took place on Dec. 14 at 12:30 a.m. Prosecutors say that the officers made up a story to justify the assault, saying that Alsaidi was acting belligerent and threw a punch. It is the latest in several incidents involving Paterson police.

“And people have no faith in the Internal Affairs investigation,” says Maksut.

Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh says that he welcomes the county taking over.

“I invite the prosecutor to provide assistance with the investigation,” he says.

It has been a little over a year since an FBI corruption probe led to eight Paterson police officers being arrested.

But Sayegh says that body cameras and an audit are some of the steps taken to help the department regain the public’s trust.

“A vast majority of our police officers are reputable,” Sayegh says.

Prosecutors say that they will also investigate old cases to see if any need more scrutiny.

"The people of Paterson deserve a police department worthy of their trust. They deserve to know that allegations of misconduct are taken seriously and investigated thoroughly,” state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said in a statement.

Patino and Tineo-Restituyo face civil rights and obstruction charges. They are out on a $50,000 bond.