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Surveillance footage from outside a downtown Dallas bar shows a man assaulting an innocent bystander with a long stick out of nowhere, then punching another man in the face before making his escape.
It happened outside City Tavern on Elm Street just before 2 a.m. on Saturday.
Dallas police are searching for the suspect. NBC 5 spoke with the first man attacked, who says he’s still dealing with the fallout.
Adam Mercado and his girlfriend, Taylor Monnet, were out in downtown Dallas early Saturday morning. The two decided to meet up with friends at City Tavern.
“As we were walking up, I noticed a gentleman holding a big stick, kind of looking like a spear,” said Mercado. “And initially, my senses were going crazy, my intuition was going crazy, so I said, you know what, let’s go inside and get a drink.”
Just before 2 a.m., the couple decided to head home, stepping out onto the patio.
“And that’s when I felt it,” Mercado said. “The sound was loud enough to almost be a gunshot. That’s what scared me.”
Surveillance footage showed the man with the staff swinging it into the back of Mercado’s head without warning, sending him to the ground.
The suspect then punched a City Tavern employee before walking away from the scene.
The video showed Mercado lying still while Monnet called for help.
“I didn’t know what to do in that instance,” Monnet said. “So I’m running into the bar, and I’m screaming, just begging for help from anyone.”
The couple said police and EMTs arrived, but they turned down an ambulance ride because they were concerned about the cost.
“Eventually went to the hospital a few hours later because my head, my ears, everything was ringing, I was sore,” Mercado said. “And I knew that I had to get checked out.”
Mercado was diagnosed with a concussion.
He said the next few days left him with lingering pain and brain fog, and he didn’t want to leave their apartment due to lingering fears from the random assault.
“It’s just been really traumatic, you know, I’ve never had any type of violence done unto me,” Mercado said. “Very surreal.”
Dallas police told NBC 5 that investigators have yet to identify the suspect and that the investigation into the case is ongoing.
The couple said they wanted justice – and for the community to be aware of what could happen on the street in a split second.
“I am grateful and thankful that I’m alive, and I hope this never happens again,” Mercado said.
A GoFundMe for Mercado’s medical expenses has raised more than $2,500 on Tuesday evening. Donors can contribute there.