Shocking video has emerged of New Jersey cops approaching a man as he crawls from a burning vehicle and proceeding to kick him in the head and neck.

The footage, filmed on Sunday in Jersey City, shows the victim engulfed in flames, dragged into the road and assaulted. And officials say that he was a bystander, not the fleeing suspect who crashed into him, nj.com reported.

'Our investigators have reviewed the video and we believe with certainty that this man is the bystander from West New York who suffered burns, not Leo Pinkston, the individual pursued by police,' Hudson County prosecutor Esther Suarez said.

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Shocking footage filmed in Jersey City Sunday shows a group of cops surrounding and assaulting a man who just crawled, burning, from a fiery car wreck

At least two cops kick the unidentified man, who is now in critical condition with burns and broken bones. They had been chasing Leo Pinkston, who caused the fiery crash

Police had been chasing Pinkston, 48, for around six miles when the crash occurred.

He smashed into the other driver - who is not being named, but is said to be 28 years old - and a utility pole, causing their cars to catch fire.

The footage, originally obtained by Univision, begins at this point, showing the man crawling from the car, engulfed in flames.

He rolls on the ground with little effect, and appears to throw off clothing. Suddenly, a group of police arrive, guns drawn, and surround him.

As the man lowers himself to the ground, one officer runs up and delivers a hefty kick. He stomps on the man as another cop runs up and delivers a kick.

Police then surround the prone figure - it's unclear if any others join in the violence - before he is dragged by one leg into the road. The video ends there.

A friend of the victim said he is 'fighting for his life' in hospital, having suffered not just second- and third-degree burns, but also multiple broken bones.

He is listed in critical but stable condition at St Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, ABC 7 reported.

The victim has a heavily swollen face, the friend said - something which he thought was odd; he says that after seeing the video he is certain the victim is his friend.

The cops then grab the man by a leg and drag him into the road. The video is now being investigated. No cops have yet been suspended in connection with the chase

'It was just shocking,' he said. 'I didn't think a fire could cause that.'

A police union official said the video 'clearly shows' officers acting in the victim's interests.

'Taking swift action isn't always elegant, but this video clearly shows that the officers acted quickly to extinguish the flames, and pull this man out of harm's way,' said Carmine Disbrow, president of the Jersey City Police Officer's Benevolent Association.

City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said the city was 'concerned' about the several-mile-long pursuit, which involved a total of two crashes and also police firing shots at the suspect.

'We have serious concerns about the conduct of this pursuit, however, we are reserving judgment until the conclusion of the prosecutor's investigation,' she said.

She declined to speak specifically about the video.

Pinkston fled police at the corner of Cator Avenue and Ocean Avenue at around 11pm and fled for between five and six miles before crashing near Tonnelle Avenue.

He was charged with aggravated assault and eluding.

No police have been suspended in connection with the chase.