LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Witnesses are speaking about what they saw when a large fight broke out at a Highlands bar over the weekend that police said led to a man being shot. 

Video of the shooting taken on the back patio of Baxter's 942 shows the fight started between two patrons, but quickly grew into something much bigger.

"All of a sudden, I just felt this tension and it was very loud and then I looked up at the stairs and that is kind of where it all started," said Derya Vega, who witnessed Sunday morning's shooting.

The shooting happened in the 900 block of Baxter Avenue around 3 a.m., according to Louisville Metro Police. Video of the shooting making the rounds on social media shows the fight happening just before 2 a.m. at Baxter's 942.

"At first it was a little bit subtle, but then things just started getting rowdy and there was like, multiple things going on at once," said Vega. "So everyone didn't even know what to look (at) but at one point, you would think it would calm down, but it was just getting worse and worse."

Baxter's 942 Owner Kevin Strnatka told WDRB in a statement "Our security responded to stop the assault and remove the instigator of the altercation. Friends of the instigator quickly escalated the situation."

Strnatka added "While we love people visiting our city, we ask you treat our establishment and nearby areas with respect and kindness."

The rest of Strnatka's statement can be read below:

"An unfortunate incident happened last night at our establishment. It began with an altercation between two patrons. Our security responded to stop the assault and remove the instigator of the altercation. Friends of the instigator quickly escalated the situation. A domino effect occurred which involved out of town, and largely unknown patrons attacking our security team, and outnumbering them. Regulars of the establishment quickly came to the aid of our security, and helped push the aggressors off of our property. As an establishment we made the quick decision to close early to ensure the safety of our patrons and staff. While we love people visiting our city we ask you treat our establishment and nearby areas with respect and kindness. I want to commend my security team and our customers that came to our defense."

Louisville Metro Police confirmed off-duty officers were working at the bar when the fight began. As soon as the fight ended, the bar told everyone to leave and closed. Less than an hour later, a man was shot just a short distance away from the bar. Police believe it was the result of a spillover from the earlier fight at Baxter's.

"Absolutely we need to be doing more to make sure this doesn't happen again," Councilman Ben Reno-Weber, D-8, said.

Reno-Weber represents the Highlands on Metro Council. After community meetings, he said LMPD created a two-week pilot program through the Baxter and Bardstown Road entertainment corridor.

"They were able to make a lot of arrests, they confiscated a lot of guns, they also did some traffic enforcement, which was really nice," he said. "So we saw a lot of success with that, so that is something we are looking to replicate in the future."

In the meantime, the councilman said safety needs to be a primary concern, and hopes more conversations are had to make that happen.

"I am never going to say to anyone, 'Hey, we're doing enough and where we are, as long as we are having shootings, we're OK,'" said Reno-Weber.

The city's Alcoholic Beverage Control said it has opened an investigation into the case, one they call serious. 

The man who was injured in the shooting was taken to a local hospital with injuries not thought to be life-threatening. 

At last check, there were no known suspects and had been no arrests. LMPD's Non-Fatal Shooting Unit is investigating.

Anyone with information is asked to call LMPD's anonymous Crime Tip Line at (502) 574-LMPD (5673). Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the online Crime Tip Portal by clicking here.

The shooting happened as the city works to crack down on what it calls excessive noise in areas of the city, including the Highlands. Last month, Metro Council approved paying for an increase in ABC enforcement in the districts that include Bardstown Road and Frankfort Avenue. 

The city recently rolled out a zero-tolerance policy for noise violations at businesses. Any business playing loud music that can be heard from 50 feet away is in violation of the city's noise ordinance, which LMPD hopes will be enforced by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. Bars and restaurants are charged $2,500 for the first offense, which had previously just been a warning. 

LMPD just trained its officers to start issuing noise citations to individuals for things like loud music and excessive revving of motorcycles. It will cost people $100 for the first offense and more subsequently.

There's also been a push to change closing times for bars from 4 a.m. to 2 a.m. in an effort to decrease crime. While no ordinance has been proposed yet, discussions are ongoing. 

These initiatives stem from residents voicing their frustrations and concerns with city leaders over loud music, crime, noise, street racing, motorcycle gangs and shootings. 

LMPD officers have increased on-the-ground patrols, using a golf cart to patrol alleys and other areas where police cars can't maneuver. It's in an effort to make officers more visible, with many officers also patrolling the area on foot. 

Related Stories:

Copyright 2023 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.