A security guard is being hailed as a hero who possibly thwarted a mass shooting after he tackled an armed man in a devil mask about to enter a famous strip club in Tampa, Florida.
The incident unfolded on Sunday morning at about 1:15 a.m. at the Mons Venus adult entertainment club when police said 44-year-old Michael Rudman tried to enter the night club armed with a gun.
Surveillance video captured the entire altercation.
Manuel Anthony “Manny” Resto explained to reporters what he did during a media briefing with the Tampa Police Department.
Resto said he saw the man approach the door of the club with a mask and he initially believed it was some kind of joke.
“I noticed the devil mask and I was like ‘ok, it’s not Halloween,’” Resto said.
When he saw the gun, he jumped into action and tried to grab it while bystanders ran off. Rudman is seen on the video hitting Resto with the gun as well as a flashlight he held with his other hand.
At one point Resto was able to grab the gun from Rudman and point it at him.
“I had no intention of shooting; I just wanted to scare him and get him on the ground,” Resto explained.
That ploy did not work and Rudman continued to wrestle with Resto, who was hit on the head several times and said he almost blacked out.
“I was not gonna let him win,” Resto said. “He was not gonna hurt nobody.”
At that point other security guards rushed in to help Resto subdue the very large man.
Police said that one gunshot was fired into the front door of the club. They also said that Rudman had the words “kill” and “dark one” written on his arms.
Investigators said they found two full magazines in the suspect’s pockets. In his truck parked outside they club, police said they found more ammunition, knives, and additional firearm accessories.
“There is no question that the security guards who disarmed this suspect saved dozens of lives through their heroic acts, and I am thankful that our officers were able to take this individual into custody before he had the chance to carry out whatever he had planned,” said Tampa Interim Police Chief Lee Bercaw.
“We will continue to actively and thoroughly investigate this case to get a better understanding of what led up to this thwarted incident,” he added.
Resto had previously performed as a professional wrestler under the moniker, “The Puerto Rican Punisher.”
Rudman is facing a slew of charges, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, battery, and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
Bercaw said the suspect was incoherent when he was arrested, and his motivation was still under investigation.
Here’s the security video of the incident:
Tampa Police say possible mass shooting outside of well known strip club likely stopped by fast actiwww.youtube.com
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