A Brooklyn man who says he was attacked by members of a Jewish safety patrol is now suing the city.
Taj Patterson says he was chased, beaten and called homophobic slurs by members of the Williamsburg Safety Patrol, a neighborhood group organized by volunteer Orthodox Jews back in 2013.
According to the lawsuit, the case was prematurely closed and delayed because of the group's ties to the NYPD.
Patterson lost sight in one eye in the beating.
He says the NYPD Hate Crimes Unit arrested five men in connection to the attack only after the case gained media attention.
The lawsuit claims if the officers acted sooner, detectives could have identified more suspects and gathered stronger evidence.
The lawsuit also says the city gives members of the patrol group privileges — including funding for equipment like bulletproof vests and use of two vehicles.
Patterson is suing the city, three NYPD employees, two neighborhood patrol groups and a group of men arrested for the attack.
Criminal charges were dropped against two suspects.
Two others pleaded guilty to unlawful imprisonment and are set to be sentenced in August.
Another man's case remains open.