Couple alleges violent assault by security at East Side bar
EL PASO, Texas March 21 2021 Security staff at an East Side bar and venue allegedly assaulted a couple last weekend.
Josh de Santiago says he and his partner were punched, scratched, and put in a chokehold during the course of the altercation that started on the dance floor at the Green Door bar.
EPPD confirmed the incident and says the case is under investigation, but limited details can be shared.
In an email sent to KTSM, a police spokesperson wrote, “Two victims reported being assaulted by bouncers at the establishment after being told to leave. Both sustained injuries. The case is being investigated by detectives at the Mission Valley Regional Command Center.”
De Santiago says Saturday’s incident was not the first conflict he’s had with one bouncer at the club.
“Every time I try to take my mask off just to breathe a little bit, he’ll go up to me and tell me, ‘Put on your mask or I’m kicking you out,’ or ‘step back closer to your table.’ And this was like the fifth time that he’s done this, and I got tired of it, and told him off to leave me alone,” de Santiago told KTSM.
As of March 10, mandatory mask mandates across Texas were lifted in accordance with Gov. Abbott’s decision to reopen the Texas economy and allow business owners to determine their own mask policies.
According to posts from The Green Door’s Facebook page, masks and social distancing are enforced at the venue.
De Santiago says that after he told the bouncer to leave him alone, other security guards were called but de Santiago didn’t believe he did anything to merit being removed from the club.
“All of them grabbed me from my boyfriend and then they grabbed my boyfriend and put him in a chokehold on the ground and he couldn’t breathe. One of my friends had to tell the security guard to stop because he couldn’t breathe anymore,” de Santiago says.
“My boyfriend couldn’t help me and all four security guards were ganging up on me — kicking me, scratching me, and punching me in the head. They also took off my chain, my earrings, and they almost took off my Apple watch. Then they pushed me and I gashed my head on the side of the table. Four of them carried me out and were still hitting me on the floor outside,” he said.
A video of the incident shows de Santiago being pushed to the ground by security staff. The video shows de Santiago struggling to stand up and then being pushed down by a different member of the security staff.
De Santiago says he went to the hospital where he received four staples in his head and was declared concussed. He says his boyfriend continues to suffer from a sore throat the couple believes to be from being placed in a chokehold.
“They were still choking him even while they were walking him out,” de Santiago said.
He says that neither he nor his boyfriend were intoxicated.
“He didn’t drink anything at all, and all I had was two drinks,” de Santiago said. “We were only there about an hour.”
Others have come forward during the course of this reporting to allege other incidents of violence by the same security staff.
The Green Door has not responded to repeated requests for comment from KTSM 9 News.
KTSM
