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Strip club bouncers in Florida tackle masked man entering bar with gun in hand
By Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY,
2023-03-22
An armed man wearing a devil mask on his face, dressed in red with a gun and flashlight in his hands is in custody after a Florida bouncer stopped him from entering a well-known Tampa strip club.
Michael Rudman, 44, was arrested Sunday morning outside the business, according to a Tampa Police Department media release issued Tuesday.
Jail records showed he remained in custody in Tampa on Wednesday.
Wearing a devil mask and words 'kill' and 'dark one' on arms
Police say Rudman, wearing a red and black devil mask and the words "kill" and "dark one" on his arms, walked towards the entrance of the adult entertainment venue with a firearm in one hand and a flashlight in the other.
Video shows the flashlight is on as the suspect opens a door to the business.
A club security guard noticed the gun, and was able to knock it out of Rudman's hand, police said.
Video shows the suspect and bouncer scuffle and two other unidentified people exit the club to help subdue the armed man.
During the incident, police said, a single round from the suspect’s gun struck the front door of the venue. No one inside the club was hurt.
One of three security guards involved in detaining Rudman suffered minor injuries from the altercation, according to police.
Arriving officers took Rudman into custody and said they located two additional fully loaded magazines in his pocket, along with additional ammunition, knives, and firearm holsters in his truck.
Police said Rudman is facing the following charges:
Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon
Battery
Aggravated battery with a deadly weapon
Purchasing, possessing, or receiving a firearm while under a Risk Protection Order
Bouncers 'saved dozens of lives'
Rudman’s motive for Sunday’s incident is unknown at this time and is still under investigation, police said.
But, detectives said, Rudman had visited the establishment the night before his arrest.
"There is no question that the security guards who disarmed this suspect saved dozens of lives through their heroic acts, and I am thankful that our officers were able to take this individual into custody before he had the chance to carry out whatever he had planned," Tampa Police Department Interim Chief Lee Bercar released in a statement.
Bercar said the department will "actively and thoroughly investigate the case to get a better understanding of what led up to it."
Natalie Neysa Alund covers trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund .
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