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BLIND TIGER CHARGES - On Monday, Jason Leonard was charged with second-degree murder. On Friday, Leonard and Delaney were charged with providing unlicensed armed security. Also on Friday, the ALE charged owner Bradford McCauley and manager Donald Beck with hiring unlicensed armed security and failing to superintend, and Beck with allowing ABC violations to occur on the premises.

BLIND TIGER CHARGES - On Monday, Jason Leonard was charged with second-degree murder. On Friday, Leonard and Delaney were charged with providing unlicensed armed security. Also on Friday, the ALE charged owner Bradford McCauley and manager Donald Beck with hiring unlicensed armed security and failing to superintend, and Beck with allowing ABC violations to occur on the premises.

Affidavits released Friday night by the North Carolina ABC Board give more details about a murder at the Greensboro music venue The Blind Tiger on the early morning of Sunday, July 31st.  As previously reported, 19-year-old Pedro Alegria was fatally shot by Jason Leonard, a bouncer at the venue. At Leonard’s arraignment for second-degree murder, attorney Michael Nash described him as a former correctional officer for the state of Vermont.

The affidavits appear to contradict an earlier statement from the Blind Tiger’s attorney Amiel Rossabi, claiming Alegria’s death “was not caused by any actions or inactions of the Blind Tiger and could have happened anywhere,” and blaming “the lack of support for our police department and the dwindling numbers of officers.” Rossabi is also an attorney for the Greensboro Police Officers Association.

Instead, the affidavits describe the venue’s staff as hiding the fatal weapon, tampering with the crime scene, and impeding arriving officers.

They also describe security not intervening after patrons allegedly shouted a racial slur at two of the victim’s friends, and only responding to the resulting altercation after punches were thrown.

One investigating officer described security then ejecting both of the fighting groups simultaneously, which allowed the fight to continue in the parking lot until bouncer Leonard stepped outside and shot Alegria in the throat.

The documents released by the ABC Board include an affidavit signed by the victim’s 17-year-old girlfriend. Due to her age, YES! Weekly has chosen to identify her as K.

K was reportedly too distraught to be questioned at the scene, and instead was interviewed by an unnamed ABC investigator on Thursday, with a relative acting as an interpreter.

The affidavit states that, when K, her boyfriend Pedro Alegria and eight friends arrived at the Blind Tiger around midnight, they were not asked for their IDs.

Instead, they were “just asked what year they were born.” K acknowledged telling security that she was born in 2003, and that Alegria gave his birth year as 1999. She said she did not drink, due to being pregnant. Her family has stated that she was only there to celebrate Alegria’s 19th birthday.

According to K’s affidavit, five members of the group were under 21 and she was the only one who did not consume alcohol. She described one member of their group as having reserved two VIP tables, a bottle of liquor, and two juice mixes. She said that, after being seated, the group purchased approximately three buckets of beer.

Once they were inside, she only observed one person who appeared to be security. She described him as standing next to a man whom her friends told her was the owner of the establishment.

At some point in the evening, a male patron at a nearby table noticed that two of the young men in her party were Black, and said “who brought those fucking n*ggers here?”

A verbal confrontation began. She said that, until it escalated, she only saw one security guard, and that no staff intervened until punches were thrown, at which point, both groups were ejected.

The shooting is described in the affidavit of ALE special agent B. Watson, who stated the “location has become dangerous to the point that ALE special agents cannot respond without back-up” and “a strain” on ALE special agent resources and “local law enforcement.”

Agent Watson described security video from the Blind Tiger as showing the altercation began at approximately 2:10 a.m. on July 31 and that, initially, two males were “separated” (it does not state by who), but one was “allowed to go back in front of the stage where the altercation originally began.”

The affidavit describes the altercation spreading to “several patrons,” and that when both groups were ejected by security, “patrons continue the physical altercation along the side of the permitted establishment and in the parking lot,” before moving back to “near the front door.”

At 2:14 a.m., according to Watson’s affidavit, Leonard (identified as “security guard A”), “approaches the altercation near the front door and brandishes a firearm.”

When Leonard and Alegria were “approximately five feet from each other, Leonard fired, “striking the victim in the neck.”

After being shot, Alegria ran away from the entrance, leaving blood “dripping along the knee-high brick wall between the sidewalk and the parking lot.”

In K’s affidavit, she stated that she was also in the crowd running away from the shot, and did not at first realize her boyfriend had been hit.

She described him realizing he was shot, turning to look at her, and collapsing. “After he collapsed, she was crying, and he grabbed her face and told her to help him.  His friends called the ambulance and, while waiting for the ambulance, another friend applied pressure to the wound.”

Her affidavit states that, after Alegria was shot, “no employee or security guard outside the establishment [was] attempting to render aid or help.”

The last statement on the affidavit is “I feel if the Blind Tiger was not here it would help with the violence and crime in the area.”  It’s unclear whether this is the opinion of K or of the agent who took her affidavit.

Agent Watson’s affidavit describes the aftermath of the killing of Alegria, as seen on security video which recorded actions of both Leonard and 28-year-old Anthony Delaney, whom the affidavit calls security guard B. 

The agent’s affidavit describes Leonard as as walking back inside the gated entrance of the Blind Tiger after shooting Alegria, while Delaney “stands near the office holding a firearm in his right hand, by his side.”

According to the affidavit, Delaney and Blind Tiger manager Donald Beck Jr. entered the office, where “security guard B [Delaney] places a firearm under papers in the top left drawer of the office desk.” Then Beck “closes the desk drawer and then places the firearm in his possession under his desk.”

This section of agent Watson’s affidavit appears to describe two firearms, one held by Delaney and placed in Beck’s desk, and another in the “possession of” Beck and placed by him under the desk.

The affidavit states that Delaney then “runs out of the office towards security guard A [Leonard],” who was still standing by the front door, and that both security guards moved out of view of cameras.

Then Delaney ran back to the office, where he “removes an object from his waistband and places it in the top left drawer of the office desk and covers it with papers.”

The affidavit states that Delaney did this after placing his own gun in the desk and covering it with papers.

Agent Watson states his opinion that “security guard A gave security guard B the firearm used in in the physical altercation. I believe this was done in an attempt to hide the firearm from law enforcement officers.”

The affidavit appears to describe at least two firearms:  one that Leonard used to kill Alegria, which agent Watson states he believes the shooter then transferred to Delaney, who hid it in the desk; and the weapon Delaney was holding as he stood beside the office while Leonard fired his gun outside.  But there’s the description of manager Beck placing a weapon under the desk.

Agent Watson described Blind Tiger staff impeding the investigation. He stated that, at around the same time the first firearm was placed in the desk, a GPD officer found the door “closed by security,” when “an unknown male and female uses their arms to block the officer’s path and motioned for her to leave.” Then, stated Watson, “the officer left the location.”

Watson also stated that “an unidentified male started to “clean the blood off the knee-high brick wall by pouring a bottle of water on it and scrubbing it with his shoe.” Then “an unidentified female walks up with a bucket of water and washes away the blood.”

Watson states that Donald Beck “was outside and observed this and it appears he did nothing to prevent or stop them from cleaning up the blood,” and that the man and woman “were the same individuals who made the officer exit the building a few minutes earlier.”

The affidavit of GPD officer J. Jordan gives more detail on that encounter.

“I was denied entry by two ‘managers” who were standing outside. “One of the managers was wearing a blue tie dye shirt and the other a white color polo. They stated it was private property and police could not enter.”

Officer Jordan stated that “Due to the amount of people inside the establishment and only four officers on scene at the time, I did not make entry into the business.” She stated that she notified supervisors on scene that the two “managers” were denying her entry.  She then spoke to three witnesses standing in the parking lot.

The witnesses are described as three women, one 19 years old, one 23 and one 24. The oldest said that she had driven the other two the establishment to pick up a friend, and that when she pulled into the parking lot, she observed people fighting outside the building, and then heard the discharge of a firearm. She said she did not see the shooter, but that four people passing her car stated that “a security guard shot the victim.”

The 23-year-old witness stated that a man running by the car said “security guard shot my friend, shot in the neck,” several times.

The affidavit of Officer Jordan concludes with “A disorder such as this is not uncommon at this location.”

The affidavit of Special Agent Dean T. Fisher states that he was notified at approximately 2:20 a.m. by GPD Sgt. M. Calvert that “a homicide had just occurred at the Blind Tiger.”

After contacting NC ALE Special Agent in Charge M. Klingerschmidt, Fisher arrived at the venue at approximately 2:45 a.m. There he observed a bullet hole in the front window and large amount of blood near the front door. He followed the blood trail to Alegria’s body, “approximately 30 yards away.”

Approaching it, “I detected a strong odor of blood due to the large amount of blood spread across the ground.”

He was informed that a security guard was the shooter. While in the parking lot, Fisher observed “a large crowd forming around the establishment,” causing GPD officers on scene to call for backup.

“I arrived in the manager’s office and was told by the permittee, Bradford McCauley, his manager, Donald Thomas Beck Jr., hid the gun in a desk drawer.”

The affidavit of Officer E. P. Edmonds states that Edmonds was dispatched to a shooting call at the Bind Tiger, and that when he approached the front gate, an employee “held out his right hand to prevent it from opening.” When Edmonds reached for the gate, the employee said “no, no victim inside” and “moved to stand in front of the gate door to prevent me from entering the business.”

Then Edmonds heard “screaming and yelling” from the rear parking lot area, and ran to dispatched investigate. Edmonds and Officer JL Young located the victim “behind Damn Right Studios (1827 Spring Garden Street), which is located in the same parking lot as the Blind Tiger.”

Officer TT Simmons was performing CPR. Alegria did not appear to be breathing. Edmonds took over CPR from Simmons, and then Officer JL Young took over from Edmonds.

Edmonds’ affidavit concludes with “A disorder such as this is not unusual at this location.”

The affidavit of Officer T T. Simmons describes following a trail of blood to the shooting victim, and attempting CPR until EMS arrived and “advised the victim did not have a pulse.”

Simmons attempted to speak to K, the victim’s girlfriend, but described her as too distraught. 

Simmonds’’ affidavit ends with “I believe this establishment is a detriment to the community.”

The affidavit of Officer J. Young described encountering “a security officer in a white shirt and blue jeans stepping outside the black iron gates” and stating “there was no one inside shot.”

Young described “attempting to gain entry” before hearing screams from the back parking lot and rushing to investigate the sounds.  When Young reached the victim, Officer Simmons was attempting to locate a pulse. Edmonds and Young located “a bullet wound to the right side of the victim’s neck along his carotid artery.”

Young describes K attempting to approach the Alegria’s body.  After Young convinced her to back off and let the officers render aid, she “sat on the ground and kept screaming and crying into the phone.”

The affidavit concludes with “A disorder such as this is not unusual at this location. I am aware of three (3) other shootings at this location in the past year.”

These affidavits were part of the documents released Friday night by Mike DeSilva, Deputy Commissioner of the North Carolina ABC Commission. The first page of the document is titled ORDER OF SUMMARY SUSPENION.

The order calls conditions “sufficiently hazardous at the bar that law enforcement and emergency personnel are at substantial risk when responding to the location and do not enter the establishment without sufficient law enforcement back up”, and that “disregard for safety by continuing sales and service of alcoholic beverages, despite the ongoing violence and repeated shootings causing serious injury to patrons, creates a hazardous environment for the public.”

Due to these violations and hazards, the ABC Commission “finds that the protection of the public health, safety and welfare requires emergency action.”

All of the Blind Tiger’s ABC permits were suspended “effective immediately upon service of this Order and during proceedings” and that those proceedings “shall be promptly commenced and determined.” The owners of the Blind Tiger have the right to file a "Petition for a Contested Case Hearing" with the Office of Administrative Hearings for the matter to be heard before an Administrative Law Judge.

On Monday, Jason Leonard was charged with second-degree murder. On Friday, Leonard and Delaney were charged with providing unlicensed armed security.  Also on Friday, the ALE charged owner Bradford McCauley and manager Donald Beck with hiring unlicensed armed security and failing to superintend, and Beck with allowing ABC violations to occur on the premises.

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