A woman visiting a Washington, D.C., bar during LGBTQ Pride celebrations was pulled down the stairs by her hair and arm in a viral video.
The incident took place at Nellie's Sports Bar on Saturday and the woman, identified as 22-year-old Keisha Young by NBC Washington, said she believes bar security mistook her for someone else.
“I feel like, even just separating race from it, no man should ever handle a woman in that way. That should never be OK,” Young told NBC Washington Monday on a video call with her lawyer.
In the video, a Black woman is being dragged down the stairs by her hair. Onlookers appear shocked and someone from the crowd throws punches at security.
A fight ensues between multiple people and at the end of the video, security is attempting to pull the people involved out of the door onto the sidewalk.
Young said the bouncer thought she tried to bring a bottle into the bar, NBC Washington reported. She said she has "bruises all over" and believes she may have also sustained a concussion from the incident.
After the video went viral, protestors showed up outside the bar chanting "justice for Keisha" and "Protect Black women."
Young was at the protest and told a WUSA9 reporter, "“I want them [Nellie's] gone."
"I didn't expect it to turn into something like this, to be honest, but I'm feeling very warm that a lot of people are out here helping support me,” Young said.
WJLA reports police arrived and and all patrons left the bar after.
The D.C. Police Department emailed USA TODAY the incident report Young filed on Monday about the alleged assault. In the report, she stated she had bruises and complained of pain all over her body. She went to a local hospital and was treated and later released.
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The Nellie's Sports Bar Instagram account posted a statement Monday stating it immediately terminated the independent security vendor and was conducting a full investigation.
"We offer a heartfelt apology to all who witnessed the horrific events of this past weekend. No matter what behavior occurred prior, nothing warrants mistreating, and disrespecting, one of our guests," the statement said.
"What we can say is we have heard the concerns of the BIPOC and LGBTQ communities."
The bar said it would be closed this week to understand what they can do to create a safer and friendlier environment.
Follow reporter Asha Gilbert @Coastalasha. Email: [email protected].
