New York ( CNN ) -- Two Turkish-American gas station workers on suburban Long Island say they were assaulted and beaten with a flagpole bearing an American flag on the night of Election Day . Five men face charges in the alleged attack , police said Thursday . The incident began when some teenagers became angry when they were asked to show identification for a tobacco purchase , said Erdaogan Yavuz , the manager of the OK Gas Station in Wantagh , New York , told CNN . `` My father is a cop and he 's going to kill all you guys , '' one of them said , according to Yavuz . The teens , yelling expletives , left only to return a short time later with two older men . All five began to assault Yavuz and his co-worker , Yuksel Cebeci , Yavuz said . Cebeci was able to get inside the station , but Yavuz said he was beaten badly . One of the older men shouted , `` You aliens get ... out of my country ! '' `` Then he grabbed the [ gas station 's ] flag and hit me in the face with the flagpole , and that 's when I grabbed the flag from him to defend myself , '' said Yavuz , who said he became a naturalized citizen of the United States in March . When Nassau County police arrived on site , the man attacked one of the officers , according to a spokesman for the 8th precinct in Levittown . The officer was treated at St. Joseph Hospital in Bethpage for lacerations to his right knee and a swollen hand , the spokesman said . Cebeci was treated for broken fingers , Yavuz said . All five men were charged with assault but the case will not be prosecuted as a hate crime , said Chris Munzing , the deputy director of communications for Nassau County Police . The men were arraigned on Wednesday , and November court appearances have been set , the district attorney 's office said . The district attorney 's office identified the men as Nicholas Lazarus , Christ Makhmaltchi , Gregory Vitale , Richard Vitale Jr. and Richard Vitale Sr . Attempts to reach the suspects and their attorneys were not immediately successful Thursday afternoon . A surveillance video from the gas station is in the hands of prosecutors , officials said .
A request for money for a tobacco purchase was the trigger , the station manager says . One man shouted , ` ` You aliens are ... out of my life , '' Erdaogan ##g says . The pole of the station 's American flag was used as a weapon , he says .