Shocking footage shows the moment a Texas thug wielding a five-foot spear-like tree branch randomly hit an unsuspecting bar patron over the head, then punched a bar staff member in the face.
Adam Mercado and his girlfriend, Taylor Monette, were meeting friends at City Tavern in downtown Dallas on Friday when they noticed a man holding a branch, police said. On social media.
Mercado recalls the man “whipping” the branch into a spear, which he estimates to be about five feet long, while the man continued spending quality time with his friends on the bar’s front patio.
“At first my senses were going haywire, my intuition was going haywire, so I thought I’d go in and get a drink,” Mercado said. He told NBC Dallas Fort Worth.
But around 2 a.m. Saturday, the couple decided to head home and say goodbye to friends, just as the man walked past them on the sidewalk.
The suspect then swung back and struck Mercado in the head, causing Mercado to fall to the ground clutching his head.
“The force of the swing was enough to break the branch in two, sending splinters flying at people nearby,” Mercado said on social media. “The thunderous sound was as loud as a gunshot and sent shock waves of panic through the patrons on the terrace.”
The stranger then turned towards a bar employee near the entrance and, without hesitation, punched him in the face.
The violent stranger then casually walks off “into the dark shadows of downtown Dallas,” as Mercado’s girlfriend is seen walking up to the two men and then running into a bar for help.
“At that point, I didn’t know what to do,” an emotional Monette told NBC, “so I ran into the bar screaming and begging for someone to help me.”
Mercado, a Dallas bartender with limited medical options, refused to ride in an ambulance, concerned about the cost.
“My head, my ears, everything was ringing and I was in pain so I went to the hospital a few hours later,” Mercado said, “and I knew I had to get checked out.”
He was diagnosed with a concussion after being hospitalized, according to NBC 6.
Mercado said he has been unable to leave his home since the attack and that the events have felt “very surreal.”
“It was truly traumatic. I’ve never experienced violence before,” Mercado said. “I’m thankful and grateful to be alive. I hope that this never happens again.”
Police have not yet identified a suspect and the investigation is ongoing.
The Post has reached out to Dallas police for comment.
The couple say they want the community to be vigilant in their surroundings as a violent attacker remains on the loose. ABC8 Broadcasting.
They are also urging anyone who recognises the man to come forward and report him to police.
“I’m always on guard, always on alert, because I let my guard down for 10 seconds and this happened,” Mercado told the outlet.
In Dallas, there have been more than 2,000 aggravated assaults and more than 7,000 simple assaults reported citywide so far this year. data Courtesy of the Dallas Police Department.
More than 500 violent crimes were reported in May.
