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Police say popular YouTuber Calum McSwiggan’s hate crime claim is fake

Police say popular YouTuber Calum McSwiggan’s hate crime claim is fake

LGBTQ and lifestyle Youtuber Calum McSwiggan recently posted an image on Instagram of himself in hospital gear, detailing what he calls “the worst night of my life.” McSwiggan told followers that he had been attacked by three unknown men shortly after leaving the popular West Hollywood gay bar, The Abbey, when he was separated from a group of friends.

Police, however, say that McSwiggan’s claims don’t add up.

“The authorities should have been there to help and protect me but instead they treated me like a second class citizen,” McSwiggan said on social media. “With three broken teeth and six stitches in my forehead, I’ve never felt so terrified to be a gay man in the public eye.”

Authorities who assisted McSwiggan at the scene, however, say he was uninjured, telling WeHoville that there were no bruises or injuries to show he had been attacked. While McSwiggan said three of his teeth were broken in the post, there is no bruising, swelling or lacerations around his mouth.

Captain Holly Perez of the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station told the site that McSwiggan claimed he had been attacked by three men he had left the bar with. While officers spoke to security guards at the bar, they observed McSwiggan pull a rearview mirror off a car in the parking lot and then start scratching another car’s paint with the broken mirror. McSwiggan was taken to the police station and charged with damaging the car.

While in the holding cell, police observed McSwiggan trying to harm himself according to Perez. He was then taken to the hospital, where he posted his Instagram update claiming he had been gaybashed and accusing the police of treating him badly.

McSwiggan’s Youtube channel consists of humorous, candid, and LGBTQ content and vlogs like “The Gay Agenda,” his reaction to the Orlando shooting, and “The Lies Depression Tells You.” He says, however, that he’s not yet at a moment where he feels prepared to talk about the incident.

View this post on Instagram

Last night was the worst night of my life and I'm really struggling to find the words to talk about it. After one of the most wonderful weekends at VidCon we went out to a gay club to celebrate, and towards the end of the evening I was separated from my friends and beaten up by three guys. The authorities should have been there to help and protect me but instead they treated me like a second class citizen. With three broken teeth and six stitches in my forehead, I've never felt so terrified to be a gay man in the public eye. All I can do is thank my wonderful YouTube friends for being with me the whole way. I'd be lost without them. Right now I don't feel that I'm in the right place to talk about this but I will be addressing this fully in the future. UPDATE: I've posted a full statement of the night's events on my Facebook page.

A post shared by Calum McSwiggan (@calummcswiggan) on

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