I went to a strip club last night with some friends… There was a guy there that we knew and he was letting us drink his Grey Goose alcohol that he had in a cooler. He went upstairs, left the bottle downstairs. When I went to get some of the Grey Goose, the bouncer grabbed me and told me not to get any, even though I tried to tell him I had permission. Well, I guess that sort of irritated me because he grabbed me like that, and since we had permission to get some and he didn’t want to beleive me, so when he wasn’t watching I went over to the cooler again. I expected I would be asked to leave as soon as he saw me. Before I could get to it, he ran up, grabbed me and started forcefully escorting me out of the club. He didn’t even ask me to leave. I guess he let his anger get to him. It was okay with me…I wasn’t fighting with him, I was cooperating with the escort. But when we got to the door, another bouncer assisted the other by picking up my feet (I’m 5’5, and weigh 120 pounds). When we got outside, the bouncers threw me, face first, onto the parking lot. I hit the cement, which caused minor injuries (bruise on my elbow, and a few cuts on my arm). My friends and I then left.

Anyway, I don’t understand why they couldn’t have just asked me to leave… I can walk on my own. I used to be a detention officer, and even though I’m pretty positive that bouncers don’t get detention officer privilege, we were taught as detention officers not to use any force if the inmates were complying with our verbal commands. I feel it was very unprofessional of the bouncers to treat me this way. When I used to be a detention officer, while escorting inmates, we didn’t pickup a non-resistant inmate that was walking fine on his own, and then drop him on the concrete floor when we reached our destination.

I have pretty credible witnesses because my friends are both police officers and saw what happened. I know I was in the wrong for agitating the bouncer, and I understand his frustration, but I don’t think that gives them the right to cause injury by picking me up and throwing me on the concrete parking lot, face first. Especially when I was cooperating and not trying to fight them. I think they took advantage of my small size.

Should I file criminal charges, or contact an attorney about possible civil action?