J.D. Gallop

FLORIDA TODAY

Update, 5:10 p.m. Tuesday:

Police investigators believe the bicyclist's claims of an violent encounter with three men are false, according to a release from the City of Palm Bay.

Police thoroughly investigated the homeless man's claims and have not found any evidence to support his claims of an attack by three men in a white sedan.

The man had injuries inconsistent with his claims; instead, they appeared to have happened as the result of falling off a bicycle.

Original story:

Palm Bay detectives are searching the city for a bicyclist who told officers he was left battered and bruised by three men who claimed to be law enforcement officers, prompting a county-wide alert to other agencies.

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Detectives sorted through the details provided by the man – described as homeless – and turned up several points that did not match his initial claims, said Karyn Barber, spokeswoman for the Palm Bay Police Department.

"The evidence is leading investigators to believe that it didn't happen. The officers are out all over looking for this person," she said.

The man, whose injuries led him to be taken to Palm Bay Hospital for treatement, told police that the incident happened about 9 p.m. Sunday near the intersection of Wellwood and Trenton streets in the southwest section of the city. The bicyclist said he was riding his bicycle when a white car pulled up alongside him and put a spotlight on him. The car was described as looking like a Ford Crown Victoria – a vehicle used by law enforcement agencies in the past – and had red and blue emergency lights, the man told police.

The victim also said the three men ordered him to stop and then jumped out of the car to beat and punch him repeatedly.

Police then issued an alert to surrounding law enforcement agencies about the suspicious incident. An investigation is ongoing and the man is being sought for further questioning. Anyone with information on the case is asked to call police at 321-952-3456.

Contact Gallop at 321-242-3642, jdgallop@floridatoday.com and Twitter@JDGallop