First responders, doctors testify in trial of Holbrook bouncer accused of fatal beating

Prosecutors say David Cruz covered a security camera, punched Jake Scott in the head and continued to beat him.

Krista McNally

Apr 19, 2023, 9:20 PM

Updated 598 days ago

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A manslaughter trial started this week for a bouncer accused of fatally beating a man at a Holbrook bar.
David Cruz is accused of beating 32-year-old Jake Scott to death at Tailgaters, where Cruz was a bouncer.
Prosecutors say Cruz covered a security camera following an argument on Aug. 21 and punched Scott in the head, then continued to beat him. They say Scott died from his injuries on Sept. 1.
The responding officer and EMT who were on the scene of the beating testified Wednesday. They say Scott was sitting up and talking but confused and that he walked himself into the ambulance.
Dr. Harry Mushlin, a neurosurgeon at Stony Brook University Hospital where Scott was taken said that he had a traumatic brain injury and went into emergency surgery.
The doctor says that traumatic brain injuries progress over time, so theoretically someone could initially be able to talk and talk.
When Scott got scans at the hospital, he had bruising and bleeding to his brain. The doctor said his brain had shifted.
The case will continue Friday with closing arguments expected as soon as Monday.