- Oregon Daily Emerald
Erb Memorial
Union, OR, USA
- Tuesday 29 May,
2007
Nightclub
bouncers arrested for assaulting patron
The man was
handcuffed and repeatedly struck after being told to leave the
Rock N Rodeo
-
-
- Police arrested
two bouncers at a downtown Eugene nightclub over the weekend for
using excessive force on a club patron last Thursday.
After an investigation, Eugene police arrested Michael Guggenmos,
28, and Jonathan Skinner, 32, on charges of assault relating to
an incident Saturday morning at Rock N Rodeo club, 44 E. 7th
Ave.
Management could not be reached at Rock N Rodeo, but other
Eugene bars said bouncers are trained to prevent altercations
among patrons.
A Eugene police officer drove by Rock N Rodeo and saw two
bouncers striking a handcuffed man in front of the bar entrance
Thursday evening.
The officer called dispatch for additional units and stopped the
altercation.
After interviewing witnesses, police discovered the man was
asked to leave for smoking a cigarette in the bar and for being
too drunk.
The 26-year-old victim is not being identified, but police
spokeswoman Melinda Kletzok said the man is not a University
student.
Witnesses told police the bouncers handcuffed the man after
spraying him with pepper spray. The bouncers struck the
unidentified man with their fists and a baton, according to
police. Witnesses told police the bouncers continued to strike
and spray the man after he was in handcuffs.
The man sustained cuts on his head and declined to be taken to
the hospital.
"Security guards can use force when necessary to take
trespassers into custody, as long as the force is reasonable and
necessary," police said in a press release.
Kletzok said club bouncers can legally carry handcuffs and other
tools to restrain someone.
"Then again, you have to use them in a safe and responsible
manner," she said.
Bartenders at other clubs in Eugene said employees are trained
to avoid similar situations.
Three or four bouncers check patron identification at Diablo's
club on Pearl Street on a typical night, said Val Serrano, a
bartender at Diablo's.
"Basically, their main objective is to stop anything before it
happens and keep an eye out," Serrano said.
When hiring a potential bouncer, Serrano said management checks
references and discusses safety policies with the bouncer.
The bouncers at Diablo's don't carry any tools or weapons,
Serrano said.
"All our bouncers are big," Serrano said. "That in itself is a
deterrent."
At the campus-area bar Rennie's Landing, bar manager Dan Geyer
said employees rotate schedules to check identification at the
door.
"In our case, the main priority is to keep customers and
bartenders safe," Geyer said.
In the event of a fight, Geyer said employees are trained to try
and "talk down" the fight and ask the involved parties to leave.
If the tactic doesn't work, bar managers call police.
The Rock N Rodeo incident will go to the district attorney's
office and a grand jury could potentially review the case,
Kletzok said.
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