A terrifying situation unfolded at a well-known gay bar in Wilton Manors on Tuesday afternoon. A bartender at The Corner Pub says a man walked into the venue and told him he was carrying a grenade.
He placed the grenade on the counter.
Bartender Joseph Shakespeare told Local10, “He showed me a grenade. He said, ‘Don’t be scared.’ It kinda freaked me out a little bit.”
Other witnesses have confirmed the man pulled out what appeared to be a grenade.
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Related: Wilton Manors Pride truck tragedy: Victims and driver, 77, all members of Gay Men’s Chorus
Shakespeare says the safety of his customers was paramount in his mind. He attempted to joke with the man to diffuse his apparent anger.
“I was just thinking, stay calm, because we have a lot of people in there, and this is our community, so I want to keep everybody safe.”
A former Marine drinking in the bar overheard what was going on and decided to intervene.
“He was agitated at somebody in the bar, looking to pick a fight,” Darrell Darling said. “He had shown me a grenade immediately as I walked up. It looked real.”
Persuading man to leave the bar
Darling kept the man occupied while other patrons quietly exited the bar. Darling was aware the bartender had called the bar owner, who called the police. He then persuaded the man to leave the bar with him so they could hang out and continue their conversation. He said they bonded by talking about military and police service.
Once they stepped out of the bar, Darling wrestled the man to the ground.
“He could be a threat — I don’t know how he’s feeling, so I grabbed one hand, swept his full leg out and just put my full weight on the back of his body so he could not get up,” Darling said.
Police then descended and took the man into custody. They have not released his name. Authorities confirm he was carrying an inert grenade and is now receiving mental health support.
You can watch CCTV footage in the news report below.
Related: Wilton Manors mayor dies suddenly
jt1990
This is why no circus will visit our state. Who’s going to pay for a ticket when there’s free performances everywhere? Anyway I do love a good Florida Man story, great coverage for a change Queerty!
Ronbo
Mental illness is being fostered and nutured by not only the right; but also, the media. There once was a time when yelling “fire” in a crowded theater was considered dangerous. Now the media of FOX, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS and NBC are dependent upon tRumpers yelling “fire” for rating and profits.
The “Fairness Doctrine” is needed to restrain the media from planting and growing this type of incident. Murder, death, kill should not be for-profit. By the time children reach middle school, they are exposed to 8,000 murders and 100,000 other acts of virtual violence through the media.
sequoiaUA
Mental illness is perhaps being exploited, but its existence is independent of media or political influence.
abfab
Shhhhhhhhhh. Don’t inform or educate the children of Florida about this current event.
wikidBSTN
Darrell Darling looks an awful lot like porn star Tony Douglas.
thebaddestbabby
Darrell Darling certainly sounds like a nom de peen
Lancealot
I’m pretty sure Darrell Darling is porn star Tony Douglas. I had a lot of fun comparing images.
Mister P
The only thing that stopped a bad guy with a grenade was a good guy.
Kangol2
And it didn’t involve guns!
maxdadmark
Another greeting from the the rogue state of Florida. Just be sure your “final expenses” are in place before you step out.
JRamonMc
Darrell Darling is the story here, and a hero!
gjg64
If the headline reads “Florida Man…..” you know it’s going to be good.
barryaksarben
I bet straight media never even mentioned it outside my fu**ed up home state
still_onthemark
Marine veterans don’t like being called “former Marines.” It’s maybe not as bad as misgendering a trans person, but in journalistic terms it’s similar: The news organization should call people by the term by which they identify.
Robothedestroyer
This is true. Once a Marine always a Marine.
nm4047
Apart from sounding like the begins of a (dad) joke, I’m guessing in Florida, the media couldn’t say it was a GAY BAR.
johncp56
Darrell Darling !!! are you seeing anyone! i,m free
CityguyUSA
Just goes to show nothing good comes from drinking in the middle of the day.