A man involved in a brawl outside a Fort Lauderdale bar appeared in court Friday to learn charges against him would not be dropped.
David Parker, 28, is charged with trespassing, resisting arrest without violence and using threatening words after the fight at Dirty Blondes Sports Bar in Fort Lauderdale Beach, but his lawyer says he is actually the victim.
"I am surprised the City of Fort Lauderdale is going forward with a case like this," attorney David Kubiliun said.
A cell phone video of the fight that went viral shows the bouncers beating up Parker and friend Alexander Coelho, 29, in front of the bar.
Police said the fight started after Coelho and Parker were escorted out of the bar after getting into a verbal argument with one of the bartenders. When they walked out, they asked to speak with a manager, but the bouncers told them to leave, according to an arrest report.
All of a sudden, bouncer Jovan Ralfhel Dean, 35, grabbed Parker and threw him to the ground, the report said. Another bouncer, Arnald Thomas-Darrah, 30, started punching Coelho and kicked him in the back of the head when he fell down, police said.
Parker and Coelho were both arrested following the confrontation. Coelho was charged with battery and disorderly conduct after an officer said Coelho pushed him, but those charges were dropped.
New cell phone video of the brawl obtained exclusively by NBC 6 shows police arrive on the scene following the fight. After some discussion, an officer can be seen pushing Coelho back away from the roped-off area in front of the bar. Parker then takes Coelho back even further and Parker's sister speaks to police. One bouncer walks out from behind the rope and pushes Coelho with one hand.
The officer is seen reaching behind him and Coelho takes a few steps back. The officer then returns to the front of the bar where Parker and his sister are standing. The officer grabs Parker and moves him backwards.
The video then shows two officers pin Parker and Coelho against a wall and arrest Coelho.
Parker was originally given a notice to appear in court after the fight, but officers were called back to the bar later that night when Parker returned challenging security to a fight in the street, police said.
Kubiliun said the new video is further proof that his client should never have been arrested.
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"They're alleging that Mr. Parker, after he was let go by the police, that Mr. Parker went back to the club and started more problems," he said. "To me that's completely preposterous. Because think about this. Why would anybody go back getting beaten up the way he did,?"
Parker said he never thought he would be facing charges for the incident.
"Not at all," he said.
Parker did have more serious charges against him dropped, but the the 3 misdemeanor counts remain. In court Friday, a judge gave the prosecutor more time to give Kubiliun information.
Three of the bouncers have been charged in the case.
The Ft. Lauderdale prosecutor wasn't available for comment and police said they have an internal affairs investigation underway to see if the officers seen in this new video performed according to policy.
