Violent encounter between Thompson bar bouncer and man caught on tape

RCMP in Thompson, Man., have opened an investigation after a Facebook video surfaced of a man being dragged, choked and punched by a security guard at a local bar.

The video, recorded and posted by Hilda Anderson-Pyrz, shows a violent encounter at the Reagle Beagle bar, which is attached to the Burntwood Hotel, on June 24.

Anderson-Pyrz said it was just after 1 a.m. when she saw a commotion break out between the bouncer and the man, who she said appeared to be intoxicated.

"He had knocked the drunk individual to the ground and he … had him by the feet," she told CBC News late Monday.

"There's this little stairwell there and he was pulling him down the stairs and his head was just like bobbing along, going down the stairs. And I thought to myself, 'This is so wrong,' so I quickly grabbed my phone and I started recording what transpired after that incident."

In the video, the security guard appears to yank the man back, drag him to the floor, put his hands on the man's neck and hold his face to the floor while shouting obscenities at him.

The bouncer is then seen striking the man in the face twice.

"He should've neutralized the situation in a very different manner, not resorting to that kind of violence," Anderson-Pyrz said.

Woman heard egging on aggressor

Throughout the encounter, a woman can be heard off-camera, egging on the aggressor.

"Just throw him around, my boy!" the woman exclaimed at one point.

Another security guard is seen grinning as he stands over the two men.

The beginning of the video shows another man trying to intervene before the bouncer pulls the victim away. The same man is seen talking to other bar staff during the incident.

Anderson-Pyrz said the other man tried to neutralize the incident and is one reason why she did not intervene. She said she also did not want to get hurt.

She said after she stopped recording, some people helped the victim, who was bloodied. He left the bar soon afterwards.

Video shared 1,000 times

Anderson-Pyrz said she shared the video on Facebook in the hopes that someone can identify the victim and help bring assault charges against the attacker.

As of Monday evening, her post had been viewed more than 26,000 times and shared about 1,000 times.

Among those who saw the video was a man who identified himself as the victim's father.

"I was pretty pissed off when I [saw] it because of the way they treated him," the man told CBC News from South Indian Lake, located north of Thompson.

"His arms are bruised up and he's got, where that security punched him, two marks on the side of the head."

RCMP opens investigation

Thompson RCMP Staff Sgt. Kevin Lewis says police have opened an investigation into the incident.

"I am surprised by the actions in the video that goes outside the professional behaviour of bar staff, in my view," Lewis said.

"Obviously it's warranting an investigation here into the actions of the bar staff."

Lewis said both the victim and the bouncer have been identified.

Anyone who witnessed the attack is asked to call the Thompson RCMP detachment.

Hotel managers also say they are reviewing the incident.