LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The owner of a Frankfort Avenue business said a security guard was acting in self-defense when he killed a man who was assaulting his partner and pointing a gun in a threatening manner early Sunday.
According to the Jefferson County Coroner's Office, 30-year-old Christopher Mayes died at the scene of the shooting at 3 a.m. outside The Fox Den Billiards, Bites and Brews at 3814 Frankfort Ave.
In a written statement emailed to WDRB News, Jared Fox Matthews, who owns the business, said Mayes "had been physically and verbally abusive to his (partner), began to threaten her, other patrons, and our staff, and was threatening to retrieve a firearm from his car with the stated intent of causing harm to everyone on property."
The couple was asked to leave, according to Matthews' statement, but Mayes "proceeded to physically assault his (partner) in the parking lot of the property until she came to the entrance of our building. She proceeded to hide behind the security guard, at which time the individual in question approached the entrance of the building and drew his firearm."
That's when Matthews said the "security guard was forced to respond immediately to this imminent threat, acting in self-defense." He said the shooting "does not in any way reflect who we are."
Noting that there has never been a shooting at or near his business in the past, Matthews called the shooting an "unfortunate, isolated incident" and said his prayers go out to everyone involved.
LMPD has not said if anyone is expected to be arrested in the shooting, only that all parties are accounted for.
At an unrelated event Monday, Mayor Craig Greenberg said closing bars earlier than 4 a.m. can help curb some of the violence in Louisville.
"We want everyone to have fun in our city, to extend our hospitality to people around the country, world, locals alike," Greenberg said. "But also, we need to ensure that our city is safe and healthy and one way we can do that is closing our bars at 2 a.m."
The Center for Women & Families has a free, 24-hour hotline — 844-BE-SAFE-1 — that provides crisis response, emergency shelter, sexual assault services and more.
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