A botched inspection on a gay bar is turning into a public relations nightmare for the Fort Worth Police Department, even as the department opens an investigation into what went wrong.

The department, along with Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission agents, raided the Rainbow Lounge, located at 615 Jennings Street, at about 1AM Sunday. The police rolled up to the newly reopened bar with paddy wagons in tow and proceeded to handcuff and arrest people. Seven men were arrested. One man, Chad Gibbons, remains hospitalized after suffering a critical injury to the head.

Hours later, an estimated 150 to 200 people turned up at the police headquarters to demand answers from the police; the protesters called the raid police harassment.

“This looked like random harassment, plain and simple,” said Todd Camp, who was present during the raid and called for the rally.

The department initially defended its actions, called the inspection routine, and attempted to justify its heavy-handedness with accusations of sexual impropriety, a claim patrons have denied.

“While walking through the Rainbow Lounge, an extremely intoxicated patron made sexually explicit movements toward the police supervisor. This individual was arrested for public intoxication. Another intoxicated individual also made sexually explicit movements towards another officer and he was arrested for public intoxication. A third individual inside the lounge assaulted the TABC agent by grabbing the TABC agent's groin. He was escorted outside and arrested for public intoxication.”

Statements made since Sunday continue to undermine the police version of events.

On Wednesday, a second man came forward to claim being injured during the incident. George Armstrong told gay weekly the Dallas Voice that he suffered a severe bruising and muscle strain in his shoulder and back during the raid.

Armstrong, who was arrested and pleaded not guilty to a charge of public intoxication, said he smiled and flashed the peace sign at an officer, prompting the officer to forcibly tackle him to the ground.

“When the guy tackled me in the bar, I landed on my shoulder,” Armstrong said. “My shoulder and back took all the force of the fall. … I was in a lot of pain.”

Armstrong, 41, also said arresting officers appeared quite pleased with themselves and he was not given a sobriety test.

“They never asked me to take a breathalyzer, which I would have been happy to do, and they didn't ask me to walk a straight line or stand on one leg or any of those things.”

On Wednesday, the Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission issued a statement admitting that 26-year-old Gibson had been in their custody when he was injured. Earlier, a police spokesman had identified Gibson as the man who grabbed an agent's crotch. Gibson says he does not recall details of the evening.

Gibson's sister, Kristy Morgan, disagreed with the police. She told the Star-Telegram that her brother is not a big drinker and, at 150 pounds, is unlikely to grope a police officer. She also questioned the care he received while in police custody, pointing to a 15 minute lag between being processed for public intoxication and when the policed placed a call for an ambulance. (Eye-witnesses say Gibson sustained his injury inside the bar, while officers say he hit his head while throwing up outside.)

As more stories leaked out throughout the week, lawmakers began calling for an outside agency to investigate. The pressure mounted when about 100 people gathered for a candlelight vigil outside the bar for Gibson Wednesday night.

And by Thursday, Police Chief Jeff Halstead was reeling back comments he had made on the incident, shifting from “take a deep breath” to announcing suspension of all joint operations between the Fort Worth police and the Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission, and calling for a review of “multicultural training” for officers.

Police officers involved in the raid have been reportedly desked. They include: Officer K. Gober, Officer J. Ricks, Officer M. Marquez, Officer J. Jenson, Officer J. Back, Officer J. Moss and Sergeant Morris.

The raid came on the day most people recognize as the birth of the modern gay rights movement, June 28. In 1969, the patrons of Greenwich Village's Stonewall Inn revolted against an aggressive New York City police department. For five days, thousands joined in protesting against police who often raided gay bars. Stonewall has become synonymous with gay rights.