YONKERS - The Rev. Al Sharpton declared his support for a Westchester County community reeling after a 15-year-old boy claimed he was beaten by police while handcuffed.

The civil rights leader said he would open a Yonkers chapter of his organization, the National Action Network.

He made the announcement during his appearance at the African American Heritage Festival at Trevor Park on Saturday.

“I don't care how they intimidate, how they threaten, I'm coming up in here,” Sharpton told a cheering crowd.

Sharpton's attention was drawn to Yonkers after the president of the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People revealed that she was looking into the claims by Kevin Brown that he was beaten by local police, reported in Saturday's editions of The Journal News.

The Yonkers police have declined to comment on Brown's charges, citing laws that protect the privacy of minors.

But Brown's is just the latest accusation of police brutality leveled against the Yonkers police, raising concerns that a pattern has developed, The Journal News reported.

The National Action Network, local NAACP and other organizations had planned to a hold a forum at Messiah Baptist Church on Saturday, but the event was canceled by church officials amid security concerns.

Sharpton remained defiant during his appearance at the heritage festival. “I want the people in Yonkers to know I don't back down off nothing. No time, no way,” he said.

Police Commissioner Edmund Hartnett said that police did not ask the church to cancel the forum - but had notified its leaders that there was a possibility that a small number of attendees might cause problems.

He also said the police department is looking into charges of police brutality.

“I think with constant outreach, we are going to make inroads into this issue,” Hartnett said, pointing out that he had met with the Yonkers NAACP president, Karen Edmonson, several times.

Brown told The Journal News that he was riding in a stolen car with his 18-year-old cousin on Monday when police began following them, then chased them after they ditched their car and fled on foot.

He said he tried to surrender, and when he was handcuffed, police pummeled him.

His cousin, Calvin J. Harris was arrested and charged with criminal possession of stolen property, reckless driving and issued several traffic summonses.