Discoteca Chic Playa Del Ingles: Spanish nightclub bouncer arrested after British tourist killed by 'martial arts chokehold' in Gran Canaria
Police have arrested a man who they believe killed a British tourist by putting him in a “martial arts chokehold”.
It was initially thought that the 47-year-old victim had died of a heart attack after consuming drugs. However, yesterday (Wednesday 7 August) detectives revealed that the incident was being treated as a homicide as they arrested a 32-year-old suspect on July 29 on suspicion of killing him with the chokehold known as Mata leao.
The incident occurred at a nightspot called Discoteca Chic in the southern Gran Canaria resort of Playa del Ingles in the early hours of July 27, according to well-placed sources. A spokesman for National Police in San Bartolome de Tirajana said they had reviewed CCTV evidence that pointed to an employee of the club grabbing the victim by the neck before he fell to the floor “immobilised”.
Police found the victim “lying lifeless on the ground” near an unnamed nightspot. Several police units responded to a call along with other emergency services. Investigators spoke to witnesses and staff, as well as friends and the partner of the victim.
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The club is not due to reopen until Saturday and a probe into the incident is ongoing. According to the Daily Mail, a statement read: “The initial information received pointed towards the dead man suffering a heart attack as according to his friends, he had consumed drugs that night. However marks were observed on his neck and his body was transported to the island's Institute of Forensic Medicine for further analysis.
“Several witnesses told police they had seen how one of the members of staff had carried out a chokehold known as a Mata leao because the British man he performed it on was very agitated. When he was immobilised he collapsed on the ground.”
The statement added: “The forensic report corroborated the cause of death as asphyxia. Given the risk the suspected killer could abscond, a search operation was put in place and once he was located the suspect was immediately arrested. He was subsequently remanded to a local jail on the orders of an investigating magistrate.”