Cardi B‘s security team allegedly attacked an overzealous fan in the early hours of Tuesday morning, viciously punching and kicking him outside NYC’s Met Gala … TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us the fan was trying to get an autograph from Cardi shortly after 2 AM as she left a post-Gala event at the Mark Hotel. In this video TMZ obtained, you can see Cardi tells the fan no … but he persists, saying, “I’m an autograph hound.” The next thing you see is a bunch of guys stomping someone on the ground.

The autograph seeker told cops, 3 security guards shoved him to the ground, and started the beat-down. We got video of the victim being transported, around 2:30 AM, by ambulance to a hospital where he was treated for neck and back pain. Read more from TMZ.