GREENSBORO, N.C. — The owner, manager, and two security employees of The Blind Tiger are facing charges from North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE) after a 19-year-old was shot and killed in the bar's parking lot on July 31.
The North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission suspended the bar's alcohol permit Friday.
28-year-old Jason Leonard, a bouncer at the bar, faces a second-degree murder charge in the shooting death of 19-year-old Pedro Alegria. Court documents claim Blind Tiger employees blocked police access and destroyed evidence following the shooting.
"(Second-degree murder) is murder without premeditation or deliberation," said attorney Jason L. Keith, an attorney with Keith & Associates. "It's a heat of passion situation where a person doesn't have an opportunity to plan and the preparation is removed from the circumstances."
The Blind Tiger owner Bradley McCauley, 47, is charged by ALE with failing to superintend. Keith said the "failing to superintend" charge means McCauley is accused of not supervising customers or staff as the ABC permit holder.
"As a permittee, you're pretty much assuming the responsibility that the premises (are) safe and the personnel and the persons that you have on staff, they're able and capable to conduct and have a competent, pretty much representation, as an employee for the company."
Both McCauley and the manager of The Blind Tiger, Donald Beck, are also charged by ALE with hiring unlicensed security.
"It's a specific charge that says the club owner failed to provide the proper documentation and he has personnel that's not necessarily qualified for the job to do what they were doing," Keith said. "So in the event that there was a shooting (and) somebody got killed, the first question is are they properly licensed? Did the club owner properly have the proper personnel?"
Two security employees, Jason Leonard (who is also charged with second-degree murder) and Anthony Delaney, are accused of providing unlicensed security.
Keith said these ALE charges don't often result in jail time and there are several factors that will have to be considered when it comes to consequences.
"It really comes down to the prior violations and the amount of prior infractions that they have," Keith said. "I've done cases where (I've) represented a lot of the nightclubs, but if there's a lot of violation of course it makes it harder to advocate for a lesser sentence."
Keith said he can't forecast what will happen in The Blind Tiger case but he does "anticipate there probably could be something negotiated favorable where they don't have to do jail time."
WFMY News 2 also reached out to Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan for her comment on the new ALE charges.
"In my opinion, after reading the affidavits from Greensboro Police and ALE officers, it appears the blind tiger had a complete disregard for public safety and best practices," said Vaughan. "I am confident that the investigation will be thorough. It is important that people know that their safety is valued and prioritized over profits."
An attorney representing The Blind Tiger declined to comment on the new ALE charges Saturday.