The owner of a Talbot Street nightclub says video footage will clear his security staff in the death of a 26-year-old man over the weekend.
Aaron Ferkranus died in hospital after he had been arrested for being involved in a brawl outside the Thorny Devil around 3am on Saturday morning.
"An individual (Ferkranus) walked up to someone else and pretty much out of the blue punched him in the face and knocked him out cold. The person who was knocked out cold, their friends immediately jumped in and that's when we (security) came on scene. The person we detained, I guess he had a medical emergency and subsequently died in hospital," Owner John Scott-Pearce tells BlackburnNews.com. "I'm fairly confident that there was no unnecessary force against this guy."
Scott-Pearce says once Ferkranus was detained London Police were called.
It is believed the 26-year-old suffered a medical emergency during the altercation . He was placed on life support at the hospital and died on Sunday night.
Since police were involved, the Special Investigations Unit is probing the incident.
Bar goers and friends of Ferkranus have set up a web site (http://www.aaronferkranus.com/) in his memory. Many have taken to social media and the businesses' Facebook page accusing the owner and security staff of murder and racism.
"How has race got anything to do with this?" says Scott-Pearce. "The only certainty in this situation is that if this person hadn't thrown the first punch they would be sitting at home on Saturday morning safe and sound."
Investigators have yet to release the official cause of death.
No charges have been laid.
