A bouncer with a past as a professional wrestler is being hailed by police for thwarting what could have been a very deadly shooting.
The Tampa Police Department this week released security footage from outside Mons Venus strip club in Tampa, Florida — where, over the weekend, one man was arrested after allegedly attempting to enter the establishment with a red devil’s mask on and a raised, fully-loaded firearm.
In the video, suspect Michael Rudman appears to be seen arriving to the club around 1:15am on Sunday, March 19, per authorities. As he opened the door to go inside, security guard Manny Resto is said to have spotted the gun in his hand, grabbed it and started to fight with Rudman in the entryway. As the pair fought, the gun dropped to the ground, before Resto picked it up and pointed it at the suspect — who then charged Resto.
Eventually, Resto appeared to knock Rudman in the head with his own gun, before he and two other security guards — including Danny Baham — held the man down until authorities arrived.
Speaking with the Tampa Bay Times, Resto — who previously wrestled as the “Puerto Rican Punisher” — said he “knew I was in a fight for my life” at the time.
“I decided that he was not going to enter the club and hurt anybody,” he added. “I wasn’t going to let this happen. I was not going to let him win.”
During the incident, one round was fired from the gun, but nobody was injured by the bullet. Per police, one of the three security guards involved in detaining Rudman suffered only minor injuries.
When police arrived, they said they discovered “two additional fully loaded magazines in his pocket, along with additional ammunition, knives, and firearm holsters in Rudman’s truck.” Tampa PD also shared that Rudman had the words “KILL” and “DARKK ONE” tattooed on his arms.
Rudman is facing charges of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Battery, Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon and Purchasing, Possessing, or Receiving a Firearm While Under a Risk Protection Order (RPO).
In Florida, a RPO is a court order “temporarily restricting a person’s access to firearms for up to one year in situations where the person poses a significant danger of harming himself/herself or others by possessing a firearm.” Rudman had been served one last year.
Though police said they don’t know Rudman’s motive at this time, they said he had visited the club the previous night.
“There is no question that the security guards who disarmed this suspect saved dozens of lives through their heroic acts,” said Interim Police Chief Lee Bercaw. “I am thankful that our officers were able to take this individual into custody before he had a chance to carry out whatever he had planned.”
Rudman is currently being held at Falkenburg Road Jail without bond.
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