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Father crestfallen over son's death in Port Huron
Joshua Conant, 26, died outside Roche Bar in Port Huron over the weekend. Videos from the scene showed bouncers pinning Conant to the ground moments before he stopped moving. Police later handcuffed him before he was taken to the hospital and declared dead.
PORT HURON, Mich. (FOX 2) - Mike Conant is still coming to terms with his family's new reality after they lost their son over the weekend. Joshua Conant, a 26-year-old man died outside a Port Huron bar early Saturday morning.
His son "didn't deserve this" he said Monday, becoming emotional as he thought of Joshua.
"They had no right touching my kid," he told FOX 2 Detroit.
Witnesses said Joshua was protecting women at Roche Bar in Port Huron who were being harassed when things got out control. As the commotion poured outside the bar, that's where witnesses say Joshua stopped breathing after being pinned to the ground by security guards.
Dozens of people that watched the fight evolve had their phones out filming. And what they reordered were guards on top of Joshua outside the bar on Quay Street, as well as police ordering him to "stop resisting."
"He's unresponsive at the time and they're saying ‘don't struggle,'" said Mike. "Well he's not struggling - he's not moving.
"These bouncers followed him outside of their area, pushed him down, and tripped him up and pushed him down and choked him out," he continued. "They squeezed the life out of my son."
"The video I that (saw) that was outside of the bar on the public sidewalk, and he was standing and the bouncers took him to the ground," said Mark Sanderson, Josh's uncle.
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Friend of man who died outside Port Huron bar says bouncers used excessive force
The commotion went outside the bar and that’s where witnesses say Joshua Conant stopped breathing as he was being held down by security guards.
Witnesses told FOX 2 that Joshua wasn't involved in a physical fight before his death.
The tragedy brings extra pain for the Conant family as Joshua was a twin who lost his brother when the two were still toddlers. The family is now relying on happier times to get them through, including Joshua's passion for cars and love and support from his friends. That includes a hashtag on social media called #JusticeforJosh.
"There are so many things that just failed Josh that night. This kid just didn’t deserve what he got," said Mike.
The commotion carried over outside the bar and that’s where witnesses say Joshua stopped breathing as he was being held down by security guards.
A friend of the victim, Brandon Craven, has worked as a bouncer and says the men used excessive force.
"It was a bit excessive, this was excessive force," Craven said. "It got out of hand and it went too far."
'You're killing him': Witnesses say man was trying to protect women at Port Huron's Roche Bar before death
Witnesses say a man was trying to protect women before his death at a Port Huron bar over the weekend. Video shows guards on top of Joshua Conant outside the Roche Bar.
FOX 2 reached out to Michigan State Police who is leading the investigation in the case. They'll announce a cause of death after an autopsy report that was expected Monday. Once in the hands of state police, investigators will turn the details over to the prosecutor's office.
Michigan State Police released the following statement:
"The Roche bouncers are not affiliated with Port Huron Police Department (PHPD) and no PHPD officers are on administrative leave following this incident. This remains an active, ongoing investigation."