PHOENIX - A go-go dancer at a Phoenix gay bar helped subdue an unruly bar patron on Feb. 17.
Thirty people were in the bar at the time and some of them helped hold the man down until police arrived.
40-year-old Lawrence Aguirre faces charges for allegedly going after patrons and staff at the Oz bar with an ax.
"I really thought my life was in danger, I'm pretty sure everybody else did too," said Adrian Carlos Maldonado, Oz bar manager.
Maldonado was managing the bar on Bethany Home Road and 18th Avenue last Saturday night, when the incident happened.
He says Aguirre was at the gay bar with his girlfriend when they started arguing.
"I told him was done, I couldn't serve him any more for the night...he got irate," said Maldonado. "After I escorted him out, he went out to the car, picked up an ax and came back at us."
Maldonado was inside, holding the door closed while he says Aguirre hit it with the ax.
The police report noted slash marks in the door.
When he thought he left, Maldonado opened the door and says Aguirre stormed in with the ax still in hand, saying 'I will kill you.'
"He said, 'Come on, bring it, I'm gonna hit you with this sucker.' He was pretty crazy and adamant about it," said Maldonado.
A go-go dancer grabbed Aguirre from behind, around the neck, that's when Maldonado hit him over the head with a pool cue; Aguirre dropped the ax.
"Once that happened, I threw the pool stick to the side, I had somebody else grab the ax and we just held him on the ground," said Maldonado.
Maldonado says four people helped him hold Aguirre down until police arrived.
"It's so weird that something like that happened but I was really happy everybody pulled together and helped me out with getting this guy on the ground and having him arrested, because this guy was crazy," said Maldonado.
Aguirre is charged with two counts of aggravated assault and one count of criminal damage.
According to the police report, the 40-year old used a homophobic slur when he told police he was assaulted at the bar.
Police say the bias crimes unit is reviewing the case.
source: http://www.myfoxphoenix.com
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