TROY -- Eyewitnesses allege police who responded Saturday to a crowd fighting on 15th Street on the RPI campus used excessive force to arrest a man they recorded in a video.

When police arrived around midnight on 15th Street between Peoples and Sage, they found a large group of men pushing and shoving each other, according to a police report on file at the department.

Most of those involved dispersed when ordered, according to the report, but Luis M. Lluberes, 21, of 22 Detroit Ave., who was intoxicated, allegedly continued to fight with officers and pushed Officer Brandon Cipperly, took a swing at him and attempted to grab an officer's night stick, according to the report and Police Chief John Tedesco.

''I deemed it appropriate self defense,'' Tedesco said. ''Just because you wear a badge does not mean you are a punching bag.''

The police reports note that Lluberes, an RPI student, was arrested and charged with second-degree harassment, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

It also notes the student was injured during the arrest but refused medical attention.

Tedesco is reviewed a poor-quality YouTube video of the event taken by another RPI student.

Watch the video here.

''I can't make out anything on the video,'' Tedesco said. ''I can't even tell whether Troy Police officers are on it.''

Tedesco said police had not received a formal complaint but he is interviewing police officers involved.

Nicholas Nigro, the RPI student who took the video, and was himself arrested, called the incident ''an absolute brutality case.''

''He was down on the ground and they were taking turns hitting him three times in the back of the head,'' Nigro said. ''One of the officers also bare-fisted punched him in the face and people were yelling at them to stop.''

Nigro said Lluberes was bleeding from a gash to the back of his head.

Nigro, 25, of 2238 15th St., was charged with disorderly conduct and having an open container.

Both men were arraigned and released pending further court action.

Nigro said he was arrested after police saw him videotaping the incident with a cellular telephone. He denied having an open container.

Tedesco said Nigro was arrested because he refused orders to leave the scene.

Police said eyewitnesses to such arrests often are shocked by what they see.

''Sometimes, when there is an altercation like that where police had to subdue someone, it can look violent,'' said Sgt. Terry Buchanan, department spokesman.

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