Ventura Bar Bouncer Arrested After Allegedly Choking Patron, Hitting Him With Flashlight During Fight

​

A bouncer at a Ventura bar was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon after using excessive force on a patron during an altercation, officials said Sunday.

​

Officers were dispatched to The Tavern in the 200 block of East Santa Clara Street on Saturday at 11:28 p.m. after receiving multiple calls reporting several people who were in a physical fight.

​

One victim, a 37-year-old man, was found suffering from a head injury that was not life threatening, a news release from the Ventura Police Department said. He was later transported to a nearby hospital for further treatment.

​

Investigators discovered that both patrons and bouncers at the bar were participants in the fight.

​

Officials said the victim and some friends had been out drinking and were refused entry into The Tavern by the bouncers. A friend of the victim got into a verbal argument with the bouncers that turned physical and ended up on the street in front of the establishment, according to police.

​

Alex Stewart, who worked as a bouncer at the bar, used excessive force on the victim by allegedly choking him and hitting him repeatedly over the head with a flashlight, officials said.

​

Stewart was arrested and subsequently released on bond. He is set to go before a judge on Jan. 15.

​

21-Year-Old Woman Claims Bouncers Body Slammed Her Inside Pacific Beach Bar

​

A young woman said she was violently shoved and slammed to the ground by bouncers inside Pacific Beach’s Backyard Kitchen and Tap around 1 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 24.

​

Natalie Lara, 21, said she's now dealing with head and neck pains, scratches and bruises, as well as a hurt arm. She said it all started when she saw a woman push someone in the club.

​

“I told the woman ‘Hey you don’t need to push,’” Lara explained. “I didn't put my hands on anyone, I told someone to not put their hands on somebody.”

​

Moments after she was surrounded by several bouncers, she said, and one started yelling at her with profanities.

“So when I turn around and let go of my arms, a third guard is standing behind me, grabs me from my back and slams me right in front of the wall,” Lara said. “What grown man throws a woman like that?”

​

She was then dragged out of the bar while screaming for the security guards to let go of her, Lara told NBC 7.

​

“One of them, he grabs me and swings me to the right and throws me onto the concrete floor,” she added.

​

This is not the first time patrons have complained about the security guards at Backyard Kitchen and Tap.

​

Phil Nosrat told NBC 7 he confronted security guards who he thought were going to hurt his friend.

​

After seeing his friend get thrown into the street, Nosrat said moments later he too was thrown to the ground and had a guard on top of him for "what felt like two hours." Nosrat broke his ankle in the fall.

​

His attorney, Evan Walker, said there have been numerous complaints raised against the bar ranging from unnecessary physicality to racial discrimination. 

​

"We're aware of over 300 times that police have been called out to deal with instances at this facility," Walker said. "What's that say? It says that there is a problem."

​

And in June NBC 7 spoke with a former San Diego State University football player who said a bouncer at Backyard Kitchen and Tap body-slammed him, leaving him with post-traumatic stress and mild brain damage. Surveillance video captured the incident.

​

He filed a civil suit claiming assault, battery, and negligence in hiring, supervision and training of the security guards.

​

“I don't know what their protocols are but it shouldn't be grabbing someone and throwing them onto the floor when I’m a 120-pound, 5-foot-8 girl and they are huge men,” Lara said.

​

The General Manager of Backyard Kitchen and Tap, Ryan O'Leary, responded to NBC 7, "We take any complaint of this nature seriously. Our investigation contradicts the allegations made by this individual."

​

Earlier in 2019, a manager for Backyard Kitchen and Tap told NBC 7 that their security guards are employees of the company.

Lara said she is currently seeking legal counsel.

​

Death of NYC club goer thrown through glass door by bouncer ruled a homicide

 

The death of a Chelsea club goer slammed into a glass door by a bouncer has been ruled a homicide, police said Monday.

Daniel Cunningham was chased out of Paddles, a nightclub on W. 26th St. near Eighth Ave., on Dec. 8 by a bouncer who then allegedly shoved him in the back, sending him hurtling him into a glass door.

​

Cunningham, 53, cut his head and went into cardiac arrest. He died at Lenox Health Greenwich Village.

The bouncer, Barry Levy, who had accused Cunningham of acting up inside the club, was arrested the next day for misdemeanor assault and aggravated harassment, then released without bail.

Bar Beatings 
Some Bouncers Get Professional Training
Reported by: Andy Gastmeyer 

 

With so many new nightclubs opening up and with so many younger people being drawn to a certain few areas of the city, there is greater concern about keeping things under control.

​

Enter then, A former bouncer who has a service he feels every nightclub owner in the city should be taking advantage of. 

Lee Vineyard  the CEO of a company called National Nightclub Security Council.

 

The services the council is offing is top of the line. I had a chance to set in on one of Mr. Vineyard classes and was shocked with the knowledge that a bouncer should have. Bouncers are in my view under trained. With reports about alleged beatings of patrons at a number of local clubs.  Mr. Vineyard is offering to club owners who are interested, training sessions that will help their bouncers subdue unruly patrons without harming them or other innocent bystanders.

 

Most importantly, they help them avoid costly legal battles. 

​

Most of what they teach involves applying various effective, but they say harmless, pressure techniques on a patron who is being unruly. For example, the application of pressure just under a person's chin will enable a team of bouncers to subdue that person, without the incident leading to an all out fist fight and serious physical harm to all involved. 

​

To date, Mr. Vineyard has provided such training for a number of clubs, including The Attic and Club Laga in Oakland. 

As Vineyard puts it, "A lot of problems with clubs is security is the last thing. And it should be the first thing they look at, because security is the thing that's going to make you or break you as far as lawsuits". 

 

News

Pennsylvania club patron alleges he was brutalized by bouncer

On behalf of John McTiernan of Caroselli Beachler McTiernan & Conboy, L.L.C. posted in Premises Liability on Wednesday, May 7, 2014.

Allegheny County bars and clubs often hire security personnel to ensure the safety of employees and patrons. The action is more than a courtesy; club and bar owners can be held accountable for customers' injuries in premises liability lawsuits. The property owner also is responsible for hiring and training competent staff members.

​

A man injured at an adult entertainment club in eastern Pennsylvania recently filed a federal claim against the business for negligence. The out-of-state man was a member of a bachelor party visiting Delilah's Den in April 2012. The complaint alleges that the patron was the victim of an unprovoked attack by a club bouncer.

​

The plaintiff stated a member of the club's security staff hit him on the head with an unidentified object as the club goer was leaving the building with a sick friend. The bouncer then allegedly shoved the man out of the club, causing the patron to fall and strike his head. The victim was comatose for several days during hospital treatment for extensive bodily injuries.

The lawsuit alleged bouncers at Delilah's Den had a history of brutal customer assaults, prompting Philadelphia officials to create a new local law in 2012 regulating strip club security personnel. Delilah's Den owners argued that the harsh security measures were necessary to prevent "unruly" customers from causing problems among club guests and dancers.

The plaintiff hopes to recover more than $75,000 for medical costs, wage losses due to his injuries and damages caused by emotional distress. The patron also has asked a federal court to award punitive damages, as punishment for the club's intentionally brutal security policies and poorly-trained and inadequately-supervised staff members.

​

More than one defendant may be liable for a plaintiff's injuries. A legal claim might name individual workers, an employer and, if different, a property owner and other third parties. An attorney will help identify responsible parties before a complaint is filed.