Bar near UT is under scrutiny

Undercover liquor-control agents were among those on the scene when Toledo police investigated the first of two recent shootings outside a bar on Dorr Street near the University of Toledo, reports show.

The Ohio Investigative Unit, which conducts enforcement on behalf of the Ohio Liquor Control Commission, did not respond to an inquiry Wednesday as to why its agents were at Chasers, 3529 Dorr St., where two people were shot after a fight erupted in the parking lot about 2:17 a.m. June 8.

Police so far have not publicly determined any link between the June 8 shootings and another reported at 1:42 a.m. Saturday. In the more recent case, police responded to a shots-fired call and found bullet holes and shell casings, only to be advised by ProMedica Toledo Hospital that a gunshot victim had arrived there.

Prince Flores, a Toledo police spokesman, said Chasers, where the owners obtained a lease assignment for the premises in September, had no history of such trouble.

“We don’t actually know [exactly] what happened,” Officer Flores said. “So we have to investigate. Hopefully, we can shed some light on what’s going on. ... The police department’s community services unit will be looking into that area and potential issues that may be coming up.”

In the meantime, police want bar patrons “to be aware of your surroundings” to stay safe, Officer Flores said.

Toledo City Councilman John Hobbs III, in whose district Chasers is located, said it is far too soon to know if the bar is at the problem’s root or if outside actors are to blame. He said he has asked Toledo police to determine, for example, whether people assembling on other property nearby are then migrating onto the bar’s property to cause trouble.

Chasers “up until this point has not been a problem,” Mr. Hobbs said Wednesday before remarking that he is “concerned with any area of the city” where violence occurs, whether or not it’s in his district.

Any city or state investigation of the bar would be separate from eviction proceedings begun earlier this month by Chasers’ landlord because of unpaid rent.

Toledo Municipal Court records show that the bar’s landlord, RIDI DTIM Ltd., filed a complaint June 7 about unpaid rent totaling at least $14,496.42. The complaint said an eviction notice had been served at the premises a week earlier and that no rent payment had been received since March.

A phone number for Chasers was disconnected Wednesday. Luke Kilcorse, who identified himself as Chasers’ owner in an interview with a local television station after the first shooting, did not respond to a message left at a telephone number listed on a social media account that appeared to be his.

The state liquor agents’ presence at Chasers after the June 8 shooting was disclosed in police reports about the shootings that TPD released Tuesday.

In the more recent shooting, Deondre A. Brown, 22, suffered gunshot wounds to a leg and foot. In the first one, Tobin A. Triplett, Jr., 23, and Ja’Niya Coffey, 19, were wounded.

Mr. Triplett of the 500 block of Palmwood Avenue was arrested and taken to Toledo Hospital for treatment. Ms. Coffey was taken to the University of Toledo Medical Center in critical condition.

The police report for the June 8 shooting said police had already been dispatched for “a large fight in progress” outside the bar when the call’s urgency was increased because shots had been fired.

When they arrived, officers reported finding more than 100 people “standing around” along with a security officer from another business nearby and the undercover liquor control agents.

Mr. Triplett was charged with resisting arrest and illegal possession of drugs.

He also had several outstanding warrants, and the police report for the incident listed him as a suspect in the shootings.

Sarah Creedon, the Ohio Liquor Control Commission’s executive director, said the news of the bar shootings “raises serious concerns.”

“A local legislative authority may file an objection to the renewal of a liquor license located within its jurisdiction,” she wrote in a statement. “The Commission would then hear any appeal on the decision made by the Division concerning the renewal application.”

Anyone with information about the incidents is asked to call or text the Crime Stopper program at 419-255-1111. Tipsters may remain anonymous and could be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.

Contact Mike Sigov at

sigov@theblade.com or

on Twitter @mikesigovblade.