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SALT LAKE CITY — Police are asking for help to identify the men involved with a “brutal attack” that left a restaurant employee with serious injuries.
A man was drinking on the patio at Maxwell’s East Coast Eatery, located at 357 S. Main Street, about 2 a.m. Wednesday when he made a derogatory statement to a woman, according to Salt Lake City police detective Cody Lougy.
As a result, a 29-year-old bouncer reportedly confronted the man and told him to leave, police said.
“(The bouncer) went to grab him on the arm, and at that point the guy just attacked him, and then the guy’s friend stepped in as well and began assaulting this employee,” Lougy said. “They actually dragged this guy over to a patio fence and threw him over the fence where the suspects had additional friends on the other side.”
A group of three to six men began stomping on the employee’s head and chest on the other side of the fence, according to police. Lougy described the attack as being fast and brutal.
They actually dragged (the bouncer) over to a patio fence and threw him over the fence where the suspects had additional friends on the other side.
–Detective Cody Lougy
“Fortunately, several employees and customers stepped in and probably saved that employee's life,” he said.
The employee sustained serious injuries to his head and chest area. He was recently released from the hospital, but Lougy said it will be a while before he can return to work.
Police released surveillance images Wednesday of the men who were allegedly involved with the attack. Lougy said that while bar fights involving bouncers happen on occasion, an attack on this scale is unusual.
“These are some serious assaults,” he said. “When you start kicking in the face and the head, and stomping the head, you can cause death really easily and also cause someone to become paralyzed. This wasn’t a fist fight against one individual — this was an individual that was being pummeled by multiple suspects and basically fighting for his life at that point.”
Investigators are asking anyone who may have witnessed the attack, or recognize the men from the images, contact the Salt Lake City Police Department by calling 801-799-3000 or sending a message to 274637 with the keyword TIPSLCPD, followed by relevant information.
