San Diego

Firehouse Bar Holds Fundraiser for Bouncers Injured in Attack

It looked like any other summer evening Wednesday night in Pacific Beach, except the Firehouse restaurant rooftop was packed for more than sounds and sips

San Diego police are searching for a man accused of attacking a Pacific Beach bouncer, causing a head injury and leaving the man in critical condition. 

Bar manager Ryan Short is nursing broken ribs. He and his four employees were attacked outside the bar by a group of men during the Fourth of July weekend.

San Diego police said Short and others tried to stop the group from going through the wrong entrance. One of the men, investigators said, picked up a stanchion and hit a firehouse bouncer in the head, seriously injuring him.

The bouncer's skull was fractured and he suffered a brain bleed. He was taken to a local hospital in critical condition. Short told NBC 7 the bouncer is better than he was the night of the accident, but that his condition is still hard to determine. The other three men began fighting with other security staff outside the bar, breaking one man's nose and injuring two others, SDPD said.

β€œIt shouldn't be what happens when people drink. Our guys were doing the right thing. We identified some individuals that shouldn't have been in here and we didn't let them in," said Short.

On Wednesday, a number of people gathered to show their support and raise money to help with medical costs. 

"We're raising some money for a few of the guys that are out of work,” Short said. A portion of the bar’s proceeds from the event will be donated to a GoFundMe account.

While everyone is focused on raffle tickets and raising money, the investigation into the beating is still open and safety is top of mind for many nearby business owners attending the fundraiser.

"Well, I hope tonight is a big success and it seems like it is to help the employees that work really hard and then just maybe some more police enforcement down here," said bakery owner Sarah Mattinson.

An SDPD spokesperson told NBC 7 the case is still under investigation and the man responsible for severely injuring the Firehouse bouncer has not been found. All four suspects took off from the area before police arrived. SDPD got a description of one of the men, who was wearing a white t-shirt and blue jeans at the time of the attack. He was described to be in his 30s, about 6 feet tall and 250 pounds.

Also, the department said it increases their officer presence at Pacific Beach and other beaches every summer in response to the increase in tourists and beachgoers.

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