NYPD officer Evans Mazile, the cop who was recorded smashing an unarmed alleged fare-beater's face with a nightstick last month, has been on paid leave since then with an injured wrist he apparently sustained during the encounter, DNAinfo reports.

DNAinfo's police sources also gave an account of what happened at the Myrtle/Broadway JMZ stop before a bystander began recording the widely circulated video of Mazile beating 20-year-old Donovan Lawson:

The incident began around 7:50 p.m. when Lawson slipped through a turnstile "doubled up" with his 15-year-old girlfriend, who used her high school MetroCard, sources said.

Mazile, a six-year veteran, was on patrol positioned behind a token booth watching for fare beaters. Authorities say he quickly approached the couple, and asked for identification.

The young girl, whose name was withheld, produced proper ID, but Lawson said he had none, sources said.

Mazile told Lawson he would have to arrest him, but Lawson told him he was on parole for robbery and didn't want to be arrested, sources said.

Lawson's girlfriend tried to coax him to "be calm," sources said, but Mazile apparently became frustrated, and grabbed Donovan and ordered him to sit down.

He refused, sources said.

According to DNAinfo's sources, Mazile, who "didn't like the way he was being spoken to," then punched Lawson in the face several times, maced him, and pulled out his baton.

Mazile has eight previous CCRB complaints against him, at least one of which involves alleged excessive force including "hitting a suspect in the head," DNAinfo reports. Lawson is being held at Rikers Island on charges relating to the fare-beating and is also on parole for a 2013 robbery.