A South Texas man who visited Austin two years ago for his birthday was shot by a strip club security guard after a dispute over unpaid private dances, according to a lawsuit filed recently against the club.
James Anthony Salazar, of Laredo, was with friends at XTC Cabaret in Northeast Austin in November 2016 when the group was tossed out for refusing to settle its debts, the lawsuit states. The men believed they had paid appropriately.
According to the lawsuit, security guards followed and forcibly removed Salazar as he was voluntarily leaving the club. Once outside, Salazar began exchanging words with the guards, who used pepper spray and a stun gun on him, the suit states. A member of the security team then drew a gun and shot the unarmed Salazar, the document says.
?Plaintiff was hit, became limp and immediately fell to the ground,? the lawsuit states.
Salazar is seeking more than $1 million for medical expenses, pain and suffering, mental anguish, physical impairment and disfigurement, and loss of earning capacity. The lawsuit accuses the club and its personnel of assault causing bodily injury and negligence in hiring and supervising security guards.
?Defendants? personnel used excessive force and were overzealous in the performance of their duties,? the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit does not mention the name of the guard who is accused of shooting Salazar. It?s unclear whether Austin police filed any charges related to the shooting.
Laredo attorney Uriel Druker, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of Salazar, did not respond to messages left with his staff seeking comment. A man who answered the phone at XTC Cabaret and said he was a manager at the club declined to comment. RCI Hospitality Holdings, the Houston-based parent company of the strip club, declined to comment through a spokesman.
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