NYPD-FDNY charity football game turns into bloody brawl

A charity football game between members of the New York City Fire and Police Departments turned ugly Monday, following a heated on-field exchange.

"I think one of the FDNY guys exchanged words with the NYPD player and then from there, I couldn't see what was happening, I just saw the crowds come around the player," Angel Zayas, a freelance photographer who was filming the game on the sidelines, told Ray Villeda of NBC 4 in New York. "I heard it happening before I saw it happening."

Zayas said one of the firefighters emerged from the fight with blood dripping down the side of his face.

The NYPD, who won the game 29-13, released a statement afterwards:

"Football is a competitive sport, whether it is the NFL Super Bowl or the annual NYPD-FDNY challenge. It is part of the spirit of the sport, but it all ends on the field."

This isn't the first time the two departments have clashed. Last year, a brawl erupted during a hockey game at Nassau Coliseum.