A group of concerned parents, several SUNY-New Paltz students and civil rights attorney Michael Sussman are sticking up for Paul Echols, 23, of Ellenville.

They claim Echols was unnecessarily beaten in the back of a police cruiser as he was being detained for disorderly conduct and harassment on September 9.

A photo shared by the members of the community group, who filed a complaint on Echols behalf, shows Echols’ injuries after the encounter. Echols suffered a jaw injury and his bottom teeth were rearranged.

According to an incident report, several New Paltz police officers and one Ulster County deputy responded to a fight involving Echols and several others outside P&G's Restaurant and Bar on Main Street at 3:30 a.m. on September 9.

Echols, who was already injured from at least one punch, became angry with police for arresting his friend who was defending Echols and began cursing at the officers, according to several sworn statements by the officers involved.

When an officer tried to move Echols away with his hand, Echols swatted it and officers then attempted to arrest him for disorderly conduct and harassment, according to the report.

In his official statement, Officer Robert Knoth said Echols — already bloodied from the fight and already handcuffed — repeatedly refused to get in the back of a police cruiser as a larger crowd was gathering around the vehicle.

Knoth stated his right arm became tangled in Echols’ arms as they both fell into the cruiser and that Echols was spitting blood at Knoth's face and mouth.

Knoth wrote that at that point, he "delivered three strikes to the right side of [Echols’] face with a closed fist, and was able to free my right arm to get out of the car."

The complaint was forwarded to the five-member Citizens' Advisory Board, who will issue a report and recommendation to the New Paltz Police Commission and Town Board at a December 20 meeting.

"On a simplistic level, no, never. There should never be excessive force," Town Supervisor Neil Bettez said after Thursday's police commission meeting, "and if an officer uses excessive force, they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent that they're able to be under the union contract. Whether or not this was excessive force, I think we're going to find out in two weeks."

The two specific volunteer family advocates who filed the original complaint hope the arising conversations spark broad change.

"We are trying to bring about policy changes in institutions that perpetuate by their actions — whether consciously or not — institutional racism," said Edgar Rodriguez, one of those who signed the complaint.

This will be the first time the Citizens' Advisory Committee has been tasked with handling a case that deals with an accusation of police brutality. Bettez said before the committee was formed, such issues would be mostly handled in private meetings.

Bettez said the decision on disciplinary action — if any — will be made by the Town Board, and that any reports or recommendations by the citizens' committee will carry much weight.