Ooooh, Florida Man! You’re out there and at it again! It looks as if this time, Florida Man took a grenade into a gay bar… but luckily bumped right into a former Marine who recognized the grenade as real right away. Bartender Joseph Shakespeare tells Local10:
“He showed me a grenade. He said, ‘Don’t be scared.’ It kinda freaked me out a little bit.”
“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.
Find the video of the heroic man’s actions and the full story and incendent in the video below! What a close call.
[via queerty]
This is what we have to do, we cannot be afraid of evil any longer. We are strong men and women and need to take care of those who are unable to defend themselves.
Heroic.