Investigation into alleged police beating of gay man

NEW YORK (WABC) -- The NYPD is launching an internal investigation into claims that several officers savagely beat a gay man.

Jabbar Campbell was hosting a gay pride party at his apartment in Crown Heights last Sunday.

"One point, I was a law abiding citizen, now I'm all injured," said Jabbar Campbell, the alleged victim.

First, you see an NYPD officer point his finger at the surveillance camera on the doorstep of Jabbar Campbell's brownstone.

Seconds later, a sergeant reaches up, repositions the camera out of the line of sight, unable to record what Campbell says happened next.

"I got bum rushed, restrained on both of my arms, and all of these cops are screaming and cursing at me and calling me all of these names like homo, gay, *expletive* and things like that," Campbell said.

At his attorney's office in Lower Manhattan Thursday morning, Campbell described how he believes hosting a gay pride party made him a target of officers from the 77th precinct.

It's where detectives from internal affairs waited to speak with him.

"We believe this was a coordinated effort by 77th precinct, that was a hate crime because of this lifestyle and types of people that were at the party," said Herb Subin, attorney.

Around 3 a.m., Campbell says officers showed up at his apartment in Crown Heights, Brooklyn and asked him to lower the music.

The 32-year-old audio engineer says he complied but noticed on a monitor, an officer moving the camera on the porch.

He went back down to find out why and says cops beat him so savagely they gave him a concussion and split his lip.

"One officer went to work on my face, it was like he has at the gym," Campbell said.

In the criminal complaint police say Campbell, "Did behave belligerently and attempt to fight" when officers told him to shut the party down."

"I think those are all complete lies, if they hadn't turned my surveillance cameras it would have showed any of that," Campbell said.

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