Bushwick residents are alleging police brutality after they say a man was roughed up by officers, but freed minutes later when police said he was not the man they were looking for.

De-Shawn Hill and his friends said undercover officers violently attacked them after mistaking Hill for a crime suspect. ?I was standing by the gate and out of nowhere, they ran up on us and started hitting me with the sticks,? Hill said.

The incident stemmed from a shooting on nearby Cooper Street. Witnesses said police canvassing the area thought Hill was the shooter.

Hill?s family tried to take him to the hospital, but they claim police cars stopped the family?s car. Family members said Hill was then arrested to keep him quiet about the incident.

Residents said it was the latest example of a crisis of legitimacy facing police in the area. They said they are questioning how they can respect officers who don?t respect them.

In a statement to News 12, police acknowledge they stopped Hill because he fit the general description of a suspect in the Cooper Street shooting. They say he resisted and the scuffle began. Police claim his injuries are simply a result of his attempt to escape. Hill is being charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.

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