Police investigate death of man at bowling alley

From: Florida Times-Union - Jacksonville,FL,USA - Dec 6, 2006

The deaf patron was described as belligerent at Nassau Bowling Center.

By KEVIN TURNER, Nassau Neighbors staff writer

YULEE - A deaf 22-year-old Yulee man died early Saturday after being thrown out of the Nassau Bowling Center on U.S. 17 in Yulee.

Sheriff Tommy Seagraves said Monday detectives were still investigating the death of Bruce A. Doss.

When deputies arrived on the scene, Doss was being held down by three men in a roadside drainage ditch after he reportedly was intoxicated and belligerent in the bowling alley's bar, punching a male employee and a male bar patron.

The Jacksonville Medical Examiner's Office hadn't released an autopsy report as of Monday morning.

"We're waiting for a ruling," Seagraves said.

As the deputy approached the three men restraining Doss at about 11:30 p.m. Friday, he noticed Doss was "bleeding from the mouth area," according to the Sheriff's Office report. He then called for paramedics.

"There's no indication how his lip got busted," Seagraves said. "That's a part of the investigation."

The deputy ordered the men to release Doss and found him to be unresponsive with a "very weak" pulse.

He then noticed Doss wasn't breathing and that his pulse had stopped, according to the report.

Witnesses said Doss pinched female patrons in the bowling center and was asked to leave. It took several attempts to get Doss out the door and to get him to stay outside, according to the report.

Bowling alley owner Doyle Claxton said he wasn't there that night, but the bar's security video cameras recorded Doss making frequent trips to the bathroom and bothering bar clients that night with pinches and notes.

When he was escorted out, he tried to bring a beer with him and became angry when told alcohol was not allowed outside, Claxton said Monday.

"He was escorted out," Seagraves said.

"He had opened the door at some point. He poked the guy who does karaoke and punched him on the chest."

Once in the parking lot, a man who saw Doss realized he was deaf and, using sign language, tried to calm Doss down, the report said.

"He was trying to communicate. He supposedly struck him, and from there took off running toward U.S. 17. That's when the patron took off after him. [Doss] was probably going to wind up in [U.S.] 17 and getting into traffic."

Two other patrons joined in the chase and all three managed to restrain him in the drainage ditch, short of reaching the highway, Seagraves said.

"He was fine when he left my place," Claxton said.

He said he based the comment on security videotapes from cameras he has installed around the building.

The Sheriff's Office now has the tapes, Claxton said.

When paramedics arrived, the deputy was giving Doss CPR. Doss was pronounced dead at Baptist Medical Center Nassau.

kevin.turner@jacksonville.com, (904) 261-7606, ext. 6354.

© The Florida Times-Union.