NEW ORLEANS — Two white New Orleans police officers have been fired after they were accused of beating a Hispanic man who they allegedly called a “fake American.”

News outlets report that 24-year-old Spencer Sutton and 26-year-old John Galman pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges of simple battery.

Authorities say the rookie officers were off-duty when they attacked Jorge Gomez outside a bar early Tuesday. Gomez’s face was badly bruised and his forehead required stitches.

Gomez, who says he was born in the U.S. and grew up in Honduras, told reporters that the officers were angry that he was wearing a military camouflage-style outfit.

He says they called him a “fake American” and beat him after he said he’d served in the military.

Sutton’s attorney Jake Lemmon said his client and Galman, “maintain their innocence.”