CLEVELAND -- Edward Henderson said he was handcuffed when Cleveland police beat him brutally, forcing him to be hospitalized for three days.

 "Some of the officers may have exhibited some inappropriate conduct that, if proven true, are severe consequences for that kind of action," Cleveland Safety Director Martin Flask said. Flask confirmed that a police internal investigation is underway into the Jan. 1 incident.

Henderson spoke exclusively with the Investigator Tom Meyer inside the Cuyahoga County jail where's he's being held on charges of assault and refusal to obey a police order.

He said as many as three officers were delivering blows to his head, using their knees. In a desperate attempt to make them stop, he made up a story about being HIV positive.

He says an officer called him a derogatory gay name and another cautioned fellow cops about Henderson's blood. "This officer stated, and I'll never forget it. He said, 'I don't care. It's tasty,' and he was talking about my blood," Henderson said.