Comox Valley RCMP have arrested three people allegedly involved in an attack on a British Columbia man that has been posted on YouTube and appears to have been racially motivated.

RCMP have not released the names of the three arrested males, but said they are aged 19, 24 and 25.

The incident happened in Courtenay, B.C., last Friday, when Jay Phillips was confronted by three white males. He says they began yelling at him and trying to fight him.

"They all stood back and they went: 'You take him first, you go first,'" Phillips told CTV British Columbia. "Like little hyenas to a lion, that's exactly what it was like."

Phillips said the men surrounded him and allegedly told him they were going to kill him.

"They just jump out and surround me... start yelling all kinds of vile shit, N----- this, N----- that, at me," he said. "They came at me saying they were going to kill me and I was like 'it's go time.'"

Someone caught the fight on camera and posted it on YouTube.

The YouTube video shows the group of men punching Phillips -- including a moment where the alleged victim is being hit and kicked by all three men at the same time. The N-word can be heard being yelled several times.

The video also shows the three men fleeing the scene in a red pickup truck.

RCMP Const. Trevor Busch said "it is concerning for police that his may have been a racially-motivated crime and we're certainly taking that into consideration in our investigation."

The three men are currently facing assault charges. The B.C. Hate Crime Team is investigating the incident, and if proof is found that the attack was a hate crime, then a stricter sentence may be imposed during sentencing.

Mayor of Courtenay Greg Phelps told CTV British Columbia he watched the YouTube video Tuesday.

"I sat there with my mouth hanging open and when it was finished, I literally felt like puking," he said.

Phillips said it's important to bring the incident to light and for the public to know about it

"You know, there are a lot of 14- and 15-year-old little black kids in this valley, young boys, just trying to find themselves," he said. "They don't need to go through this. So I'm doing this for all of them and everybody who can't defend themselves."

The Police have not identified who shot the YouTube video.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 250-338-1321, or to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Norma Reid