A security guard outside a popular Southern California venue allegedly fired a stun gun directly into a patrons face at point-blank range, an incident captured in a disturbing video that has since gone viral.
The footage shows a shirtless man standing inches from the uniformed guard outside Park 101 in Carlsbad Village as the confrontation escalates. According to the Daily Caller, the guard raises the weapon, aims at the mans head, and fires, sending the man crashing to the sidewalk where he writhes in pain while bystanders rush to his aid.
The incident occurred in a busy nightlife district where families and sports fans had gathered. Officers on patrol nearby responded after witnesses flagged them down, reviewed the video of the alleged assault, and arrested the guard, identified as 42-year-old David Marquez of San Marcos.
Authorities booked Marquez on two felony counts: assault with a deadly weapon and assault with a stun gun, according to TMZ. Marquez posted $30,000 bail and was released Thursday, and he is scheduled to appear in court July 2, according to 10News.
The venue had drawn a sizable crowd for a World Cup watch party when the confrontation erupted, raising questions about crowd control and private security standards. One patron described watching the guard fire after the man had already begun to walk away, suggesting the threat had subsided.
He had already basically left the establishment. And the security guard was still having some kind of altercation with him and then just point blank shot at him straight in the face and you can see the guy just fall to his knees, holding his face, Kendall Johnson said, according to 10News. An Instagram user posted the clip, and it spread rapidly across social media, while SanDiegoVille later obtained a second video that appears to show an earlier confrontation involving the same guard.
Park 101 has since severed ties with Marquez and the outside security vendor that employed him, as management scrambles to contain the fallout. A co-owner called the video deeply disturbing and insisted it does not reflect the venue or its establishments, adding that Park 101 is reviewing how it selects, vets, staffs, and trains event security, according to the New York Post.
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