Victim of alleged attack by Mainline Private Security bouncer speaks out
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The bouncer charged with third-degree murder in connection with punching a man outside of a Center City bar is not the only employee of the security company to face serious criminal charges related to his actions while on the job.
CBS Philadelphia has learned police have charged a second bouncer at Mainline Private Security with violently attacking a patron at another Center City bar. The alleged victim of that incident is speaking exclusively with CBS Philadelphia.
"I still don't feel the same," the man said.
Speaking one-on-one with CBS Philadelphia and requesting to remain anonymous, the man says a bouncer employed by Mainline Private Security attacked him so violently outside the bar U-Bahn in Center City in April, that he is still recovering his injuries.
"I've seen his eyes, like it looked like he wanted to kill me," the man said.
He says he was inside U-Bahn with a friend when an argument broke out between him and a security guard.
"When out of nowhere, he just attacks me," the man said. "He puts two hands around my neck and starts to choke me."
He says the guard then led him outside while still choking him.
"At that point, I put my hands up, because I'm thinking like, he's going to let me go. I'm away from the bar," the man said. "He's going to let me go, but he doesn't. At that point, he decides to squeeze harder."
"Normally, I'm not a fighter. He wanted a reaction, and I didn't give it to him," the man added. "So he squeezed harder. And I'd say about 10, 15 seconds after that, I blacked out."
As the victim lost consciousness, his attorneys say security cameras captured the guard then slamming the man to the ground.
"By the time that he was outside the establishment, he had left," the victim's attorney, James Helm, said. "What reason is there to continue to have his hands around our client's neck to the point of throwing him to the pavement?"
The security video is now evidence in the alleged victim's lawsuit, evidence not yet publicly available. But the victim's attorneys have seen the video.
"If you watch the video," attorney Jordan Strokovsky said, "it's clear as day that no use of force was justified by this bouncer, let alone egregious use of force."
The lawsuit identified the security guard involved in the incident as Omar Clark. CBS Philadelphia learned Clark faces several charges from police, including recklessly endangering another person and strangulation and that Clark was employed by Mainline Private Security.
That's the same company that had employed Kenneth Frye, the former bouncer who faces a third-degree murder charge based on allegedly punching Eric Pope in the head outside Tabu Lounge & Sports Bar on April 16. Pope later died.
"I was shocked," the victim in the second incident said.
The man who was allegedly slammed to the ground outside U-Bahn says he's still suffering from possible permanent injuries like headaches, blurry vision, and neck and head pain. Now, he wants Mainline Private Security to do more when hiring security guards.
"Definitely needs to be a change," the man said. "Definitely needs to be a change."
The man who was allegedly attacked outside U-Bahn is apparently not the only person involved in an altercation with security on April 3
A lawsuit obtained by CBS Philadelphia alleges another man was attacked by a group of security guards employed by Mainline Private Security at the same bar on the same night.
That alleged victim also requested to remain anonymous, but his attorney Tim Daly provided CBS Philadelphia photos of some of the injuries. Daly says his client was attacked in a hallway of U-Bahn where there are no security cameras.
"They beat him up really, really hard in that hallway," Daly said. "They were kicking him and punching him."
The lawsuit alleges the man suffered a concussion, fractured tooth, bruising and a shoulder injury that requires surgery.
Daly says his client was a quarterback for a South Jersey college. But he was left with so many injuries, he won't be playing this season.
"He has to have shoulder surgery," Daly said. "That has been scheduled. He's missing his senior year of college athletics because of the surgery."
Neither U-Bahn or Mainline Private Security responded to multiple requests for comment.
Omar Clark and his attorney couldn't be reached.
