February 26, 2013
Go-Go Dancer, Bar Manager Fends Off Ax Attacker at Gay Bar
Jason St. Amand READ TIME: 2 MIN.
A male go-go dancer and a bar manager helped fend off a man who tried to attack patrons with an ax at a gay bar in Phoenix, Ariz. on Feb. 17, according to Fox Phoenix affiliate KSAZ.
Bar manager Adrian Carlos Maldonado told the station that Lawrence Aguirre, 40, attempted to attack about 30 people with an ax after arguing with his girlfriend.
"I told him [he] was done, I couldn't serve him any more for the night. He got irate," Maldonado told Fox News. "After I escorted him out, he went out to the car, picked up an ax and came back at us."
Maldonado says he tried to hold the bar door closed while Aguirre smashed it with his axe. When Maldonado thought he had gone, the manager opened the door and saw to his horror that Aguirre was running towards him still holding the weapon while yelling "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," Maldonado related. "I really thought my life was in danger, I'm pretty sure everybody else did too."
Before Aguirre could attack anyone, however, a go-go dancer came from behind and grabbed the attacker around the neck. Maldonado then hit Aguirre over the head with a pool cue and the suspect dropped his 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," Maldonado said. Four people helped him hold Aguirre down before police arrived on the scene.
"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," Maldonado told the Fox station.
Aguirre was arrested and has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault and one count of criminal damage. The police report notes that Aguirre used anti-gay epithets when he told police officers he was assaulted at the bar. The authorities say the bias crimes unit is examining the case.
