Update: Two men shot, one lifeflighted to Grady Memorial Hospital following incident in parking lot of bar in Monroe, Ga.
Monroe Police Department confirm that they were dispatched to Fuzion’s bar at 1:38 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017 in reference to a panic alarm. They arrived to find a large crowd in the parking lot where two people had been shot. Other patrol units, CID and EMS were dispatched. Walton County Sheriff’s Office assisted in crowd control.
The victims have been identified as Reginald Pope, 38, and Benjamin Harris, 29. Pope was shot in the back and Harris had a gun shot wound to the back of his leg. Aid was rendered until EMS arrived. Pope was life flighted to Grady Memorial Hospital and Harris was transported to Clearview Regional Medical Center.
MPD CID is working numerous leads. If you have information about this incident you are asked to contact Cpt. S. Treadwell at 770-266-5182 or 678-392-6440 or email STREADWELL@MONROEGA.GOV
Initial story
Officials confirm that two people were shot during an incident at Fuzion’s Bar and Grill in Monroe, Ga. overnight Friday. Details to follow.
Monroe Police Department is currently working on a press release and when available we will update with names, conditions of the victims and whether any arrests have been made.
Mike Brown, owner of Fuzion’s, said he believes that incident probably started somewhere else and the parties involved ran into each other at the bar.
“They didn’t come in together. One guy came in to order food and started trouble with them at the pool table and I threw him out. They waited in the parking lot until they were leaving. It did not happen inside, it happened in the parking lot. When they (the victims) left, they (the shooter or shooters) got out of the cars and immediately started fighting, according to the cameras,” Brown said. “It was first verbal, then physical and then there was shooting. The police are still trying to narrow that down.”
Brown said he believes he did his job when he ordered the person trying to instigate trouble to leave. He said the shooter, or shooters, waited for about 3 hours for the victims to leave.
“I believe if they ran into each other in a park somewhere it would happened there. It was unfortunate that it happened in the parking lot at my place,” Brown said. “That guy would have to know that when they came outside the building they were unarmed. I do not allow any weapons, illegal paraphernalia, no gang related colors in the bar, just to keep any type of problems like that from arising. I do think it was an ongoing conflict. We had no other incident – just that guy that I threw out. What are we supposed to do. You can’t fix stupid.”