SEE: Baton-Wielding Cops Beat Men During Washington Heights Brawl

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — Two men were hit with batons and kicked until bloodied during a violent Tuesday arrest outside of a Washington Heights subway station, according to witness video and police officials.

Transit police engaged Aaron Grissom, 36, and Sidney Williams, 37, in a confrontation outside of the West 168th Street and Broadway subway station around 2:30 p.m. after subway passengers complained to officers about the two men bothering people, an NYPD spokesman said.

Video of the altercation taken by witnesses shows the men engaged in a verbal dispute with officers in the middle of the street. The police officers strike first, hitting one of the men over the head at least three times with a metal baton, according to the video.

The second man, wearing a white jacket, then rushes an officer and the two end up wrestling on the ground by a parked car, according to the video. Several other police officers rush to the cop's aid and begin raining baton strikes down on the man while he's on the ground. A plainclothes officer rushes over and gets a few kicks in on the man as well, according to the video.

Police officials say that the video does not tell the full story. It was Grissom and Williams who first became violent with cops after refusing to leave the area near the subway entrance, police said.

"The males refused to comply and when officers moved to initiate arrest, they resisted and one of the males attempted to punch the officers. During the attempt to subdue and take the offenders into custody, two detectives and an off-duty police officer came to the assistance of the uniformed officers," an NYPD spokesperson said in a statement.

NYPD Internal Affairs is investigating the altercation, a police spokesman said. The police officers who attempted to initiative the arrest were injured and were treated and discharged from an area hospital, police said.

Both Grissom and Williams are facing charges for assault, resisting arrest and menacing, police said. Both men were treated at St. Luke’s Hospital for treatment following their arrests. Police said the two men were involved in a similar incident with police in December at the same subway station.

Watch the full video below courtesy Instagram user that_boy_lucky_:

Lead photo by Patch