Photos by Keeley Smith.
Police were dispatched to Belmont Shore Sunday night regarding a possible battery incident, after passersby saw a male subject on the ground, Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) officials said.
The LBPD confirmed officers were dispatched around 8:06PM to the intersection of Second Street and Nieto Boulevard. No one has been taken into custody.
Police were seen releasing the man suspected of battery from custody in the parking lot of Chase Bank on Second Street. The alleged victim stood in the parking lot, his face fully bandaged, with just his eyes visible while the suspect’s handcuffs were removed.
A friend of the victim, Alissa Purdom, said the victim would be visiting the hospital, as he was unconscious on the ground for “at least 20 seconds” after the alleged assault.
An employee of Belmont Shore bar Panama Joe’s, who asked to remain anonymous, said the victim had previously been seen at Quinn’s Pub and Grill and the suspect had been seen at Legends Sports Bar.
Purdom said the suspect followed a friend of the victim’s, a female, out of the bar, and the victim told the man to leave her alone. According to Purdom, the victim then pressed a crosswalk button to cross Second Street, when the suspect attacked him from behind, punching him in the back of the head. The victim was knocked unconscious.
The police declined to disclose the identities of the individuals involved.
According to Purdom, police said the suspect will appear in court and face misdemeanor charges.