A Navy veteran said he was attacked by a group of white bouncers at a strip club in Dallas, where he claims he was targeted for being “black and vulnerable.”
Jalen Bell, of Plano, Texas, detailed the incident on Facebook, saying he and a friend were celebrating Cinco de Mayo over the weekend at XTC Cabaret Dallas when he was “violently attacked” by a group of white security guards.
“They called me ‘n—–‘ as they punched, stomped and grabbed my throat with such force I felt my trachea beginning to snap,” Bell wrote. “They cracked my ribs and injured my eyes, jaw and back.”
Bell said the unprovoked beatdown came after he “accidentally sat my drink down” in an area of the club reserved for a group of roughly seven men.
“One of the men put out a cigarette in my drink, and he and I exchanged words,” Bell’s post continued. “My friend and I decided to leave after the confrontation and this group of security guards was waiting for us at the exit. Without any provocation at all they beat us both like animals. After they were done they just kicked us out and went on with business as usual.”
The bouncers attacked Bell and his friend simply “because they could,” the US Navy veteran claims.
“We were black and vulnerable and they don’t believe that the law will have any consequences for them,” Bell’s post continued. “This is not OK.”
Bell’s attorney, Lee Merritt, was not immediately available for comment. He held a press conference outside the strip club Wednesday afternoon with Bell, his assistant told The Post.
In a separate Facebook post, Bell said it’s unfortunate he was attacked “after fighting for and serving this country honorably,” but promised to get justice after the assault.
Reps for the club, meanwhile, said it has a “zero tolerance policy” for discrimination.
“Our club has a very diverse clientele, equally diverse management and staff, and has been in business a long time,” according to a statement to The Post. “Our initial understanding is that this incident involved what was deemed to be an unruly customer. We are continuing to investigate the incident internally and ask the community to be patient until that is concluded.”
The club’s Facebook page was no longer available as of Wednesday and its Yelp page was being monitored after a flood of posts in support of Bell.
“Jalen Bell and his friends were beat without provocation here not too long ago,” one post by a man from Arlington read. “If you’re black, stay away.”
Police on Wednesday released a report that Bell filed with investigators after the incident. Bell told police someone had put him in a chokehold at about 4 a.m. Sunday as he left the club on Stemmons Freeway and he was then assaulted by several people he didn’t know.
Bell later went to a hospital for treatment. No additional details about the assault were released.