A man was critically injured after being stabbed during an altercation with a bouncer inside a gay bar in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The incident occurred around 2 a.m. on Saturday, December 28, at the Saloon, an LGBTQ venue located at the corner of Hennepin Avenue and 9th Street, reports The Minnesota Star Tribune.
The 27-year-old man, whose identity has not been released, had been stabbed and was transported by emergency medical personnel to a local hospital. He suffered critical injuries.
Police have not yet disclosed the circumstances that led to the altercation.
The bouncer, a 33-year-old man from Newport, Minnesota, was also treated for injuries at a local hospital before being booked into the Hennepin County Jail on a charge of first-degree assault.
Christopher Bock, the CEO of the Saloon, said it’s unclear what precipitated the fight.
“I’m still trying to figure out if they knew each other and how they knew each other,” Bock told the Star Tribune.
Bock added that video from surveillance cameras inside the bar offered “not very good angles” of the altercation.
“Nightclubs are tough,” Bock told the newspaper. “A lot of things happen.… For New Year’s Eve, we’re going to double down and bring in private security to add a couple more guys to the roster.”
Confrontations between staff or security and patrons at nightlife venues, although infrequent, can be part of the job at any establishment selling liquor.
Two years ago, a Minneapolis man was arrested after allegedly threatening the staff at 19 Bar, the city’s oldest continuously operating LGBTQ bar, and allegedly pulling out a .45 caliber Glock following a confrontation with a bartender.
That man, Conell Walter Harris, eventually pleaded guilty to one count of felony possession of a firearm, and was sentenced to 57 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
Ihab Mustafa El Mahmoud was arrested in West Palm Beach after allegedly trying to run down members of an LGBTQ running group during a meet-up in a local park. The Florida man faces two counts of aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony and one count of reckless driving.
El Mahmoud could also face hate crime charges or bias enhancements for allegedly targeting the group because of their sexual orientation.
According to West Palm Beach police, El Mahmoud allegedly took offense at what he perceived as a comment about his sexual orientation when a runner asked if he was at Howard Park for the "Night Runners West Palm Beach" group's regular meet-up.
Shakers, a D.C. bar particularly popular with various LGBTQ recreational sports leagues, has announced on Instagram that it will be closing its doors on Sunday, Nov. 23.
In the Nov. 17 Instagram post, Daniel Honeycutt and Justin Parker -- also proprietors of the since-closed The Dirty Goose bar -- shared that after "many, many difficult discussions," they have decided to leave the LGBTQ nightlife industry. The couple said they looked forward to taking extra time to spend with their 3-year-old son.
The post also noted that Keaton Fedak, the owner of Kiki and a former employee of The Dirty Goose, would be taking over the space at 2014 Ninth St. NW, which includes two indoor bars and a large enclosed patio.
A gay-owned ice cream shop displaying a large Pride flag outside was attacked twice in 24 hours by a man who hurled Molotov cocktails at the business.
Jason Fletcher, owner of Fletcher's Ice Cream & Café in Minneapolis, told NBC affiliate KTTC that employees had left just six minutes before the first attack, around 10:45 p.m. on Sunday, October 19. The suspect hurled a Molotov cocktail, shattering a window and igniting several chairs. Patrons at nearby Mac's Industrial Sports Bar helped extinguish the flames.
The second attack came just over 14 hours later, around 12:52 p.m. on Monday, when the shop was closed. This time, the Molotov cocktail created a larger hole in the window, but its wick fell out before the flames could reach inside. The fire scorched the sidewalk outside, leaving burn marks near several tables and chairs.
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