Chad Mendes, som utmanat om titel i UFC:s fjäderviktsdivision eftersöks nu av polisen i hans hemstad Hanford i Kalifornien. Anledningen är att han ska ha slagit en oförberedd person, en sk. ”sucker punch”, i samband med ett barslagsmål. En beskrivning av händelseförloppet från HanfordSentinel.com följer nedan.
Mendes, 27, allegedly sucker punched a patron in the face and took off running out the back door. Officials say they have not been able to locate him.
The incident started around 1:18 a.m. A deputy on patrol in east Hanford drove past the business and witnessed two people fighting in the parking lot. He got out and intervened, causing one man to turn on him, according to the Kings County Sheriff’s Office.
As the deputy called for backup, more people spilled out of the bar and began fighting. Officials said the melee grew to about 40 people before Hanford police and the county Gang Task Force arrived on the scene to break it up.
That’s when authorities recognized Mendes. He appeared to be intoxicated and began cursing at the deputies and officers, authorities said. They asked him to leave. Instead, he went back inside and struck one man who “never even saw him coming,” Assistant Sheriff Dave Putnam said.
Deputies chased Mendes along the railroad tracks behind the Lacey Inn Bar, but soon lost him in south Hanford. The area native has not been seen since.
Om Mendes inte anmäler sig till polisen senast måndag kommer han att bli efterlyst. Eftersom Mendes är en professionell fighter finns det en risk att han kommer åtalas för ”assault with a deadly weapon” vilket kan ge längre straff än en vanlig misshandelsdom.
Chad Mendes senaste match var mot Cody McKenzie den 7 juli som han vann via knock i första ronden. Detta var hans första match tillbaka efter hans första nederlag i karriären mot mästaren Jose Aldo som knockade honom i första ronden i januari i år.
