VIDEO: 16-year-old beats and strangles police officer in NYC subway, immediately released after

A 16-year-old boy who allegedly jumped the turnstile at the East Harlem station to avoid paying his fare punched and strangled a police officer in a New York City subway station on Saturday.  

A viral video on social media shows the young man assaulting the cop while his companion, another 16-year-old teenager, argues with another officer.  

The disturbing footage shows the attacker punching the policeman in the head before strangling him and repeatedly pushing him against the metal bars. The video also shows the young man's face covered in blood.

The violent fight began shortly before 6:00 p.m. The teen became "verbally aggressive for over three minutes with officers" before they attempted to arrest him.

The aggressor's partner began arguing with another officer, then physically assaulted her, while the first fight continued.

The young man was charged with assaulting an officer, obstruction of government administration, and resisting arrest, but was released on bail on Sunday.  

According to reports, the young man had been previously arrested for possession of a loaded weapon and robbery but was released the following day after appearing in court.

In a statement, officials confirmed that "one officer suffered swelling to the head and shoulder, for which he was treated and released at NYU, as was the other officer."  

"If New Yorkers want to know why the chaos in the transit system isn't improving faster, here's why," said Patrick Lynch, president of the New York City Police Benevolent Association, in a statement.

"Criminals know they can get into a fight, strangle a policeman and be out again in a matter of hours," he added. "We police officers put ourselves at risk to make the metro safer, but we feel abandoned by a justice system that doesn't back us up."