Long Island resident David Cruz, 32, of Medford, was sentenced to 24 years in prison in Suffolk County Court on Friday, June 30 for beating Jake Scott to death.
A jury found him guilty of first-degree manslaughter in April 2023.
According to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, the two got into an altercation around 2:45 a.m. on Aug. 21, 2022, after Scott called Cruz a “weird.”
Prosecutors said Cruz was aware of surveillance cameras on the outside of the building and repeatedly tried to lure Scott out of the cameras’ view.
After failing to do so, Cruz was caught on video taking off his shirt and covering the camera with it.
With the camera’s view blocked and seemingly unaware that another security camera at a nearby business would capture the attack, the 6-foot-5, 270-pound Cruz unleashed a series of brutal attacks on Scott, prosecutors said. the beating.
Video shows Scott delivering the first punch as he rises from his chair, knocking him to the pavement.
Cruz then rode on top of Scott and repeatedly hit him on the head, eventually knocking him unconscious.
Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said in a previous statement: “While Scott was lying motionless and unconscious on the ground, the defendant grabbed the victim by the shirt and pulled him to the ground. Get up and shout for him to stand up.”
“When Scott did not respond, the defendant lowered him to the ground and delivered a final blow to the victim’s head before fleeing the scene.”
Scott was in a drug-induced coma at Stony Brook Hospital, where doctors found he had a brain hemorrhage, a complete skull fracture and traumatic brain injury. He died 11 days later.
Three days after the attack, Cruz turned himself in to Suffolk County police.
On April 24, a Suffolk County jury found Cruz guilty of first-degree manslaughter, a violent felony.
In addition to his jail time, he must complete five years of post-release supervision.
“We are satisfied that justice has been served and that the trial jury and now the court have held this defendant accountable for his actions,” Tierney said in a statement.
“This lengthy sentence will cause the defendant to reflect on the fact that, as a result of his choice to violently take the life of Jack Scott, he will now spend a considerable amount of time behind bars.”
Days before Friday’s sentencing, Scott’s family filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Tailgaters Sports Bar and its owner, Dorielle Bennett, The Daily Voice previously reported.
The suit also named Cruz’s employer, First Choice Protection, and Cruz himself, claiming he was hired despite his “long” criminal history.
“The Tailgaters need to be held accountable for noticing Mr. Cruz’s violent tendencies and yet continuing to use him as a bouncer. They collectively failed to train and supervise Mr. Cruz in the duties of a bouncer,” family attorney Jon Bell told the Daily Voices”.
He continued: “No amount of money will heal the horrific pain that Jack Scott’s family has endured. All parties responsible for Scott’s death need to suffer the consequences of their actions.”
The Daily Voice contacted Tailgaters Sports Bar, but the company declined to comment on the lawsuit.
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