Family of man shot, killed by security sues Charlotte bar owner
The family of a man killed at a now-closed Charlotte bar is suing its former owner, and still trying to serve him with papers after months of attempts.
Police already arrested Jerome Planter, the security guard charged with killing La’Nard Gaddy in June 2023. Planter is still in uptown’s jail and awaiting trial on first-degree murder charge.
Now, he and the owner of the closed Fusion Lounge are also being sued in state court.
The suit, filed this summer by one of Gaddy’s family members representing his estate, says that Planter worked as a security guard there on June 17, 2023, when he “suddenly” and “without justification” reached for a gun on Gaddy’s waistband.
Gaddy had entered and exited the building a number of times because he was there for business, the lawsuit said.
When Gaddy backed away, Planter shot him twice, according to the suit. He shot and injured Keifer Crafter, too, according to the lawsuit. Crafter is also suing.
Company Zarrin-James, Inc., and its president, Nader Behrouzjou, are defendants. The Charlotte Observer could not reach Behrouzjou.
He should have known that Planter had an extensive criminal history, the suit said, and that many of those charges were for violent crimes. Hiring Planter was negligent, led to Gaddy’s wrongful death and caused Crafter to suffer “serious injuries,” the suit said.
Crafter’s leg is permanently scarred from gunshot wounds, the lawsuit said.
He and Gaddy’s family have asked for at least $25,000 in compensation and other relief.
The sheriff’s office has been trying to serve Behrouzjou since June with the civil lawsuit, according to court records.
The plaintiffs have also placed public legal notices in The Charlotte Observer instructing the defendants that if they don’t respond by Oct. 25, they will ask the court to order compensation.
Ryan Oehrli covers criminal justice in the Charlotte region for The Charlotte Observer. His work is produced with financial support from the nonprofit The Just Trust. The Observer maintains full editorial control of its journalism.