Update: New Beginnings Death Not The Result Of Hate Crime
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Update: New Beginnings Death Not The Result Of...
Update: New Beginnings Death Not The Result Of Hate Crime
Source: Washington County Detention Center
Bradley Ashby, 19
UPDATE/ 5:22 p.m. 01/27/09: Johnson City police say the beating death of a man at New Beginnings nightclub was not the result of a hate crime. Although the sexual preferences of both Bradley Ashby, the accused attacker, and James Lewis, the victim, remain unclear, Lt. Steve Sherfey says what happened at the gay-friendly nightspot was not motivated by anyone’s sexual-orientation. In fact, investigators aren’t sure there was a motive at all.
“I think it was just a brawl at a bar that went too far,“ Sherfey said.
Sherfey says when the bar closed Sunday morning, a crowd spilled into the New Beginnings parking lot. He says several people who had been drinking exchanged words, a fight started, two women were hit, and ultimately Ashby punched Lewis once in the face. Lewis died the next day at the hospital. Sherfey hopes an autopsy will reveal more about his death.
“We’ll have to wait on the results of that to conclusively say what he died from, whether it was the blow that killed him or the fall that killed him,“ Sherfey said.
Regardless, Sherfey says it wasn’t hate that killed Lewis. Local pastor John Shuck hopes that’s the case. Shuck is a member of the group Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). When he first heard of Lewis’ death, he feared it was a hate crime.
“What was the motivation for this crime,“ Shuck wondered. “Was this based on sexual orientation or perceived?“
Now that police have said Lewis’ death was not the result of a hate crime, Shuck says he can rest a little bit easier.
“If this is not motivated by sexual orientation, real or perceived, I’m relieved,“ Shuck said.
UPDATE/ 1:35 p.m. 01/27/09: Johnson City Police have arrested Amber McCurry, 19, in conjunction with the beating death of a man at New Beginnings nightclub over the weekend. McCurry is charged with filing a false report after she allegedly told police she did not know the people who were in her vehicle, among those was Bradley Ashby.
UPDATE/ 9:52a.m./ 01/27/09: Johnson City police are looking for a second suspect in the beating death of a man at a Johnson City nightclub.
Officers arrested Bradley Ashby Monday night and charged him with reckless homicide.
He’s accused of punching James Lewis early Sunday morning in the parking lot of New Beginnings. Lewis died yesterday at the Johnson City Medical Center.
Today, Capt. Mike Street said investigators are looking for a couple of other people for questioning, including one suspect, which he has decided not to name at this time. Street says there could be more charges in this case. After all, he says several people were involved in the fight that led to Lewis’ death. In fact, two women were also assaulted in the midst of the brawl, Street said.
He says there is no indication that the fight was motivated by anyone’s sexual preference. Street says at this point, investigators have not found that anyone targeted a specific group that night. Street is not classifying this as a hate crime.
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Police arrested a man Monday night and charged him with reckless homicide after the death of another man injured outside a Johnson City nightclub.
The victim, James Lewis of Telford, Tennessee, died Monday from injuries sustained early Sunday in a fight at New Beginnings, 2910 Bristol Highway.
Johnson City Police say they arrested Bradley Ashby, 19, 807 E. Chilhowie Avenue, Johnson City, Tennessee, and charged with him with one count of reckless homicide. Ashby was booked into the Washington County, Tennessee Detention Center with a $50,000 bond.
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Reader Reactions
Maybe the reason that we feel that we have to be in everyones face all the time is the fact that we keep getting screwed over, and left in the back ground ... we still have to follow all the rules as everyone else and pay taxes but yet we are treated as second class citizens…well for one i do not priss or prance… some of the gay population do priss and prance but not all gay people are flamboyant enough to be pegged as being gay ...We blend in and are everywhere…
and how is that you have no clue who i am but yet you stated that “YOU YOURSELF make what goes on in your bedroom publicly known!“ how do you know what goes on in my bedroom ... I do not tell what happens, to me it is no ones business but mine and the person i am with. would you state the same comment to someones face if a guy leans over in wal mart and kisses his wife .... or would you just have a problem with a guy leaning over and giving his boyfriend a kiss… since it is not legal for us to get married ..boyfriend or partner is the only name we can legally use for our signifigant other… yet it is okay for us to abide by all the laws and pay taxes but yet we are treated like second class citizens ...
? how you think that we flaunt our lifestyle ... what by going to a gay bar ... would you make that same comment to a redneck going to Nashville sound?
I do not ask for your approval ... it is neither required or desired ... but tolerance would be a big change of pace… walk a mile in my shoes and see if you are not rudely awaken at how hard it is to be a gay person in this area this day and age ...
worry that if your employer finds out about you that you could lose the promotion or worse your job…. or if a group of people that feel entitled to speak for all the str8 people and take it to far and someone gets hurt ... didnt think about that ...well use the internet for something other than trying to silence a minority for trying to survive and look up the story of matthew shepard ... see what he went thru and had to tolerate and how his life was tragiclly ended due to hate and intolerance…
I dont remember yanking your chain demanding that you condone anything ... be aware .. be up to date.. be kind and that is all ... if you cant do that then there is nothing else that needs to be said .
First off I would like to send out prayers from all of my Family to the Lewis family. Also would like to send the same prayers for the other family. This is what happens when things go to far. Why is it that all the attention is being focused on their sexualities ... and not on the bar? Do they not have video Camera’s in their parking lots? There has been fights and problems in the parking lots over the last 10 years that i have been going there, so why have they not took the precautions of putting up cameras and having BOUNCERS like they have had in the past in the parking lots after the club closes ... should they not be held accountable for their part in this ... with cameras and bouncers in the parking lot they would have known someting was going on and been able to step in stop it before it went as far as it did.
And to all the homophobes and bigots that feel that they need to sound off on here ... i have just one thing to you ... i dont come to your church or occult meeting and try to cause problems ... so why come to our bar and try to do the same .... I mean if you do not like gay or lesbian people then you should start staying home cause we are EVERYWHERE .... the nice teller at the bank….LESBIAN,.... the nice butcher at the grocery store GAY .... the cop that pulled you over for drinking and driving to your church meeting…... GAY ,.... The fireman that got your puss out of a tree ..... GAY….. the kindergarten teacher that you and your children love .....LESBIAN…. see we are every where and we are not going anywhere .... so get used to it ... we have been walked on and looked over for to long ... and now that we are getting our voice you WILL listen to us or we will just get LOUDER .... so i will close with this ....
this tragedy that happened is a SHAME the fact that two grown adults could not come to a non confronttional resolution drunk or not .... is just sad… do we all need to go back to school to relearn our Manners and the meaning of common courtesy
and for the previous comment about the gays going to the bar for “sex and lovin” ... no ...try that again i go for liqour and grinding ... big difference ... if you would like to know the difference feel free to come on up to the bar and we will show you ... we are not afriad of us and you should not either ...it is not like you can catch the gay ... or have it rub off on you ... you either are or are not .... POINT BLANK
FYI I know Bradly really well and he was a good person. I’m sorry to James family and friends. Bradly’s sister should be some what to blame too. She was the one who started the fight and he was only taking up for his little sister. He wouldn’t ever mean to kill somebody. But why was a 46 year old man fighting with a 19 year old anyways??? And this wasn’t a hate crime. If he has something against gay people then why would he of went to a gay bar??
Reckless homicide/ Killing / Felony/= Wordplay! The person is dead! WAKE UP!!!
Excuse me but it was not murder it was reckless homicide.
39-13-215. Reckless homicide. —
(a) Reckless homicide is a reckless killing of another.
(b) Reckless homicide is a Class D felony.
[Acts 1993, ch. 306, § 2.]
Gay or straight, whatever. A person was murdered and is now dead. WAKE UP!
Let it be known, this man was not gay! So for all of you out there attempting to put this on him as if he “deserved it” because you ASSUMED he was gay…you are sadly mistaken! Before you go spreading your hate, maybe you should make sure your ignorant stories are correct. If ignorance is bliss, then there are quite a few people on here that must be VERY happy!!
We’ll miss you James! You were a trooper and people who didn’t know you missed out on a WONDERFUL person! I hope that the gentlemen (and any other party involved) is brought to justice!
Ben,
You don’t like gay bars? DON’T GO!!!! No reason to get all bent out of shape. And just as an FYI….we don’t go there for “sex and loving.“ Don’t speak about things you have no clue about.
One more thing Ben…do us all a favor, crawl back under that rock and stay there. The world will be a much better place.
Ben, I didn’t realize you were the son of God. Apparently, you feel you commit no sin. Maybe, the bible was wrong and Jesus wasn’t our saviour, you are! All bow down at Ben’s feet and worship him.
If you don’t have anything intelligent to say, place keep your opinions to yourself. Try learning from the bible instead of showing your ignorance of it.
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