Lance. Cpl. Jasen Bruce
In a potentially racially-based incident, a 28-year-old U.S. Marine Reservist took a tire iron and attacked a visiting Greek Orthodox priest, mistaking him for an Arab. The man was actually a priest who was lost and asking for directions, the Tampa Tribune reported last week.
Lance Cpl. Jasen Bruce said the man had a long beard, was wearing a robe and sandles and said "Allahu Akbar," Arabic for "God is Great." "That's what they say before they blow you up," Bruce told police.
The victim, the Rev. Alexios Marakis, of Crete, who speaks little English, had just performed a blessing of a retired Greek priest when he got lost in Tampa. He turned into an apartment complex to ask for directions and approached Bruce, who was getting his laundry out of his trunk and was not in uniform. He hit Marakis four times with the tire iron and chased him three blocks and pinned him down on the street.
When he contacted 911, Bruce said a terrorist had just tried to rob him and grabbed him in a sexual manner, police said. Bruce pleaded no contest to misdemeanor battery.
Marakis, 29, was treated and released the same day. He was recovering from his injuries and did not comment on the incident, saying his English was not good enough.
Bruce was released from the Hillsborough County jail at 8 a.m. Nov. 10 on $7,500 bond. His occupation is listed as a pharmacy sales. In a prior incident, he got into an altercation and was accused of pushing a tow truck driver who was about to tow his Jaguar.
UPDATE: AP Article on this says Bruce defense attorney calls officer who responded to the call a "Marine basher." Tampa Police Spokeswomen told reporters that Bruce had made no reference to a sexual assault in his 911 call but when officers arrived gave various accounts of what happened.
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For more info: www2.tbo.com/content/2009/nov/10/tampa-police-marine-reservist-attacks-visiting-gre/
Comments
you obviously have not done your homework. Another "well built" male has come forward and stated that Father Marakis hit on him twice in a Tampa grocery store.
HOW ABOUT SOME FACTS TO BACK UP THE CLAIM OF THE SECOND "WELL BUILT" MINDLESS BIGGOT THAT THE PRIEST SUPPOSEDLEY "HIT ON".
THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER STEPPED FORWARD SO HOW ABOUT THIS GUY.
I am sorry John, You are right. It turns out the Tampa Grocery store story was about the Marine, not the priest. Sorry!
Looks like this Marine also poses for Gay sites and has numerous problems.
The Tampa grocery story was about the priest hitting another similarly built man twice. Jason Bruce did not post for gay site. The pictures were taken as a legitimate modeling gig. The gay websites are pirating the images. Jason Bruce is getting railroaded. If he initiated the violence, then why would he call 911 while still fight with the priest? The police actually congratulated him at the scene, and they let him help search the priests car. Then all of a sudden the police change their story.
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