After Verbal Abuse, should I break up on the phone or in person?

I"ve dated my boyfriend for a few months and 2 times this month he got drunk and verbally abused me for several hours rather severely using many nasty names and pointing out all these problems (he dreamed up) that I have. He even (funnily) told me i'm in a midlife crisis although I'm 38 and you have to be in your 50s to be in a "midlife" crisis. He's 27 and his dad's a doctor so i guess he knows all (lol). Seriously though my only crisis is him in my life, things were fine until he pulled the Jeckyl and Hyde routine.

I've done research and and understanding he's really been abusing me more than these 2 nights, it was just not severe enough for me to realize it. I'm done with him now and don't want to date anymore. We are on a "cooling off" period but I've decided to break it off since then.

Normally I have no issue breaking up in person, I insist on in person because I hate being broken up with on the phone or email or just ignored. But this guy has me scared. I don't think he'll hit me, but i do think he'll drag it out and try to cling to me physically and won't let me just end it.

I will do it in person if it's best but I just want some peoples take on this one. I don't feel comfortable being in person with him as he gets so mean and nasty with his attitude and calls me names and scours at me, stomps, and acts in general like a damn fool. I just want it to be over.

What would you do?