A Marine vet says he was sucker-punched at a Davie restaurant while on a date
A U.S. Marine veteran says he went out with a date to Davie’s Quarterdeck restaurant and wound up with a fractured jaw, a split chin and lingering anxiety.
Davie police want to find the man they say “sucker-punched” the 25-year-old man.
‘Rowdy’ group at restaurant
On Wednesday, police released a surveillance video of a group of men they want to question in regard to the attack that happened on April 24. In particular, Davie police are looking at a shirtless man in light-colored shorts who, at one point, faces the camera as he and a group of similarly clad men walk out of the restaurant at 3155 S. University Dr.
The marine gave an on-camera interview with WSVN on Wednesday but asked that he be identified solely as Mitch and that he not have his face appear on television.
The former corporal told the station he saw a group of about 10 “rowdy” men, the majority of whom were not wearing shirts or shoes at the Quarterdeck.
“They were drinking, and I stupidly made the comment, ‘What are we at the beach, boys?’” he said in the TV broadcast video.
He said the men started to curse at him and one — the shirtless man police want to find — followed him out the front door when he and his date left.
Next thing he knew, he felt a tug on his arm and a punch.
More jaw surgery
He’ll need surgery to fix his damaged jaw. He told the station he feels the need to look “twice again behind my shoulder” when venturing out.
“I think I’ve earned my right to live peaceful in this country,” the marine said in the WSVN video. “That involves not getting my jaw broken as I’m walking my date to her car 9 on a Wednesday night.”
Davie PD release surveillance video
On a Davie police post of the WSVN story on its Facebook page, they plead, “Let’s see if we can get this offender identified.”
Someone commented in the thread: “Whatever happened to ....no Shirt no Shoes no Service?”
Davie police did not respond to a request for comment from the Miami Herald.
If you have information, please call Broward Crimestoppers at 954-493-8477 or browardcrimestoppers.org.
This story was originally published May 30, 2019 at 2:56 PM.
