Breakup of Large Party Investigated : Law enforcement: Huntington Beach Police start their own internal probe into how officers handled the arrests of nine people. Party-goers say police attacked them.

HUNTINGTON BEACH —  The Huntington Beach Police Department has started an internal investigation into how its officers handled the arrests of nine people--three of whom were hospitalized--while breaking up a party early Sunday morning.

The officers, responding to complaints of a large party in the 9800 block of Ocean Crest Drive at 12:50 a.m. Sunday, encountered what they said was a gathering of about 200 people.

“The officers began breaking up the party . . . and nine different people were arrested,” Police Lt. Patrick Gildea said. He said the charges ranged from resisting arrest to assaulting police officers.

During the arrests, Gildea said, “some of the party-goers sustained injuries.” He said an internal affairs investigation has been launched into the incident and declined further comment.

More than a dozen of the party-goers who gathered at the residence Sunday afternoon after several of their friends were released from jail expressed anger and bewilderment at what they described as an unnecessary attack by police.

“They just started going crazy and hitting people with batons,” said Alan Rahim, 24, who lives at the residence and was arrested on charges of battery on an officer and resisting arrest.

“One of the officers even had his gun out and was pointing it at people, saying: ‘If you move, I’ll kill you,’ ” said Clinton Waterson, 25, another resident, who was arrested on the same charges as those lodged against Rahim.

The six male residents at the two-story house said they were having a party for about 60 to 70 friends. They denied the police report that 200 people were at the party and said that when police arrived, there were only about 40 people still there.

“It was a formal party; people were dressed up in suits,” Rahim said. “It was invitation-only.”

The house’s residents conceded that there was dancing and loud music and that many of the guests had been drinking beer, but they said nobody was out of control.

Another resident, Philip Shirley, 28, said police entered the house and ordered the music turned off and the guests out.

“We started doing exactly what they said,” said Shirley, who was arrested on the same charges as those against his housemates. He said that some of the party-goers were from other countries and didn’t understand the officers’ orders.

“I was trying to explain to my Italian friend that (the officer) wanted us to lie on the floor because he doesn’t understand English that well, and (the officer) thought I was smarting off,” Shirley said. Shirley also said that he and his housemates were telling some of the party-goers to spend the night because they were too drunk to drive and that the police got angry at them for not dispersing.

The residents said the police corralled them in the living room, handcuffed them and began striking guests with their batons and kicking in doors, looking for other people.

At the home on Sunday, the residents pointed out damage that they claim was caused by the police officers, including doorknobs that were ripped off and holes in walls that the officers allegedly kicked in. What appeared to be dried blood stained the walls and carpet. There were also scores of empty beer bottles.

Four of the six residents displayed bruises on their legs and arms that they said were the result of the officers’ baton blows. Three of the residents were taken to Pacifica Community Hospital in Huntington Beach for treatment of minor injuries before going to jail.

Peter Leiby, 25, appeared to have had the worst injuries with bruises on much of his body.

“I was beaten while I was handcuffed,” he said as he lay in bed Sunday.

Madina Salaty, 23, of Irvine, who was at the party at the time of the arrests, said she was frightened by what she saw.

“The police were very, very out of control. . . . It was scary,” she said.

Times staff writer Thuan Le contributed to this report.