Club boss defends bouncers after violent clash caught on camera
VENUE MANAGER SAYS STAFF WERE PROTECTING WOMAN
A HALIFAX nightclub boss has defended his door staff after viral footage of bouncers clashing with revellers in a chaotic brawl on the dancefloor.
The scenes unravelled at the Acapulco Club, in Waterhouse Street, at about 1am on Sunday. West Yorkshire Police are investigating reports of an assault.
Acapulco manager Simon Jackson claims his door staff are not being investigated and were simply protecting a woman ‘who seemed to be being assaulted’ by ‘seven or more’ people.
He says he’s been working with police, showing them the club’s CCTV footage of the incident.
Video of the incident has been uploaded to Facebook and shared almost 2,000 times. The footage appears to show the bouncers clashing with a group of revellers in a brawl.
Simon, who has managed the club for about 30 years, said: “We’ve been in today with the police. We’ve asked it to be raised to a higher level because of people like you [Yorkshire Live].
“The CID [Criminal Investigation Department] have been in, they’ve watched the CCTV and are fairly happy the doormen had stepped in to protect a woman who seemed to be assaulted by one of the people that you’re on about that seemed to be getting punched randomly. That never happened, I don’t know what you’re looking at.
“We’ve looked at the club’s CCTV at all angles. The CID is also talking to some of the staff to see if they want to press charges towards the people that you’re talking about.
“I can’t tell you exactly what’s happened as there’s an investigation going on - but what I can tell you is police are not looking at the club or the door staff for any untoward things now that they’ve seen exactly what’s really happened and how it started.”
He then added: “They were stopping a gang of aggressive people, seven or more, that would have otherwise been injuring other customers. They were there for safety. They are employed to protect other people and property and that’s exactly what they did.”
A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police said: “West Yorkshire Police are investigating a report of assault which took place at around 1am during the early hours of Sunday (24/3) at the Acapulco Club, Waterhouse Street, Halifax.”
Anyone who may have witnessed the incident or the circumstances leading up to it is asked to contact West Yorkshire Police by calling 101 or go online at www. westyorkshire.police.uk/ LiveChat quoting reference 13240160071. Alternatively, call independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
They were stopping a gang of aggressive people, seven or more. They were out there for safety Simon Jackson