Top executive Tony Rogers is sensationally named as viral chair thrower who KO'ed his colleague outside Melbourne strip club Bar 20
The mystery man behind a viral chair-throwing incident at a Melbourne strip club has been identified as a top executive with a renowned global furniture manufacturer. Sales director Tony Rogers, 58, was reportedly enjoying a night out with a German colleague when he became an internet sensation outside the city strip club Bar 20. The incident happened on King Street in the CBD about 9.20pm on January 30 after two men were ejected from the bar for allegedly being offensive to dancers and staff.Security footage allegedly showed the pair scuffling with bouncers before being pushed out onto the footpath.Mr Rogers was then allegedly seen walking to a neighbouring restaurant where it is understood police will allege he picked up a chair and tossed it in the direction of the security staff who had ejected them. That chair struck Mr Rogers' workmate, who is believed to be a fellow sales director for the German-based furniture company specialising in school and office furniture. Mr Rogers' victim had recently arrived from Germany and was on a night out in the city, being entertained by Mr Rogers.Mr Rogers is now expected to be fined for riotous behaviour and refusing to leave a licensed premise, Channel 7 reporter Paul Dowsley revealed. Tony Rogers, 58, was reportedly enjoying a night out with a German \colleague when he became an internet sensation outside King Street strip club Bar 20 A man identified as furniture salesman Tony Rogers grabs the now infamous chair In the wake of the incident, Mr Rogers has deleted his professional LinkedIn account and wiped his personal Facebook profile.However, the Daily Mail has unearthed several pictures of him from his previous stint as an award-winning managing director of an Australian furniture company.Daily Mail made numerous attempts to contact Mr Rogers, but he did not respond to any messages.Bar 20 co-owner Michael Trimble told Daily Mail police had contacted him on Tuesday to obtain the now viral CCTV footage captured from the club.The bar boss also revealed he had been contacted directly by Mr Rogers' German-based furniture company, Vereinigte Spezialmöbelfabriken.'I believe he's laying low now,' he said. Mr Rogers' colleague is understood to have 'recovered reasonably quickly' and got up and walked away, while Mr Rogers was seen holding his head in his hands.It emerged last week that it was an alleged foul-mouthed demand for a stubby of beer that sparked the flying chair knockout. That chair has since become a bizarre tourist attraction, with Bar 20 proudly putting it on display. 'Jack the security guard' has also become a minor celebrity, with people lining up to take a selfie with him. With millions having watched the video, 'Jack's' reaction was widely regarded as 'priceless.' Mr Rogers' work colleague after being struck by the chair Bar 20 has been a go-to spot for late-night antics in Melbourne for decades Tony Rogers, 58, has been identified as the 'flying chair' chucker 'Was gonna say something about the security laughing then it showed the guy's mate was the one who threw the chair and I mean how could you not laugh,' one person commented.Another person said: 'When people say Australians have no culture, I’m going to show them this.''I’d do the same if my mate got us kicked out. But seriously, that looked bad. Lucky he walked away,' another said.As protesters prepared to flood Melbourne's CBD over the visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Mr Trimble wondered about the world's focus on the chair incident outside his club. 'The state of this city. It's literally coming apart at the seams but we get a guy hit by a chair in the news cycle for three weeks,' he told Daily Mail. 'We are not a serious people.'Daily Mail has contacted Victoria Police for comment. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit an online confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
