THE hunt is on for a man who knocked a bargoer to the ground in a random, unprovoked attack on Saturday.
Surveillance footage showed the shocking moment Adam Mercado was brutally slammed to the floor outside City Tavern in Dallas, Texas.
The attack occurred around 1:42 am as Mercardo was going to the bar to get a drink with his girlfriend.
While saying goodnight to his friends on the outdoor patio, an unknown man was seen walking by on the sidewalk.
The man appeared to reel his arms back before striking Mercado in the back of the head with a long stick.
One of Mercardo’s friends approached the man before he could flee but was also knocked to the ground as the man ran away.
Mercado told local ABC affiliate WFAA-TV that he saw the man before entering the bar, saying that he had a long tree branch in his hand that was sharpened on one end “like a spear.”
“We decided to go to the bar, say hi to some friends, have a nightcap, and then walk home,” Mercado told the outlet.
“He looked suspicious, so I ushered my girlfriend inside pretty fast. We had our drink and then said goodbye to some folks outside. I let my guard down for about 10 seconds, and that’s all it took – just a ‘WHACK.’
“The branch broke across the back of my head, and I fell to the ground,” Mercado continued.
Mercado’s girlfriend, Taylor Monnet, said the attack came out of nowhere.
“You don’t know what to do – you’re confused, and all I could do was start screaming for help,” she said.
I always have my guard up; make sure you keep your head on a swivel – because for 10 seconds, I let my guard down, and this happened.
Adam Mercado
Mercado was taken to the hospital but said he was going to be OK as there was no permanent damage from the attack.
However, he did suffer a concussion and was hit with a massive hospital bill.
Now he’s raising money to offset the cost, especially since he will be out of work for a while.
“I am extremely blessed to say that all of the scans and tests that the doctors performed have come back clear,” read the GoFundMe description.
“Unfortunately, I am now faced with medical bills that I cannot afford, accompanied by wages lost over the last few days. Any amount of help is vastly appreciated and means more to me than you will ever know.”
The fundraiser currently has $6,250 raised out of a $20,000 goal.
At the time of writing, police only have the security video to work with.
Mercado asked people to watch the footage to see if they recognized the assailant.
“I always have my guard up; make sure you keep your head on a swivel – because for 10 seconds, I let my guard down, and this happened.”
The U.S. Sun has reached out to the Dallas Police Department for comment.
