New York City’s interim top police official and his acting chief of staff got into a verbal dispute at the New York City Marathon on Sunday morning that became so heated that it was broken up by another high-ranking officer.

Commissioner Thomas Donlon and the aide, Tarik Sheppard, fought over where they would stand for photos taken at the finish line of the race, according to two people who were briefed on the incident. Mr. Sheppard disputed that account and said the episode stemmed from a minor disagreement about where and when to have a meeting.

Dozens of people watched as the men argued and Jeffrey Maddrey, the chief of department, separated them, according to the people.

“The matter was promptly discussed and resolved,” the Police Department said in a statement. The department said there was no “physical altercation.”

Mayor Eric Adams, asked about the argument on Monday, said that the officials “both know my expectation on how one should communicate,” adding, “Human beings: We have arguments, we have disputes.”

The public spat between two such high-ranking members of the department hinted at the chaos that has defined the department over the past year.