IMAGE VIA ORANGE COUNTY
EDITOR’S NOTE: If you or someone you know in the Food and Beverage industry needs help, the Southern Smoke Foundation has just started offering free mental health services in Florida. Read more about the organization and its services HERE.
A stabbing at Grumpy’s Underground (Instagram) in Orlando’s Mills 50 Main Street left one man seriously injured in the early morning hours of August 31.
A report by WESH 2 shared that the fight began when friends of the victim believed they had been overcharged. When the argument escalated, the owner asked everyone to leave the bar, including staff. The argument continued outside, where 34-year-old Jason Rosario allegedly stabbed the victim multiple times in the head, jaw, ear, and back. Witnesses told investigators the fight escalated after the victim punched Rosario.
The victim was hospitalized with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Rosario, who had only worked two training shifts at Grumpy’s and was filling in for the night, has been charged with attempted second-degree murder.
Owner Amanda Fields told WESH she was at the bar that night but was unaware the altercation had turned violent until after police arrived. “I thought everybody had gone home,” she said, adding she was shocked the incident happened at her business.
Police continue to investigate.
According to an interview we had with the Director of Nighttime Economy for the City of New Orleans in mid-August, one of the things they train bartenders there is that when you are de-escalating a fight, you never let the individuals out into the street at the same time. The City of New Orleans works with its local venues and the Safe Bar Network to train bar staff in de-escalation strategies in a series of free workshops.
