Sources: Owner of Kokopellis was the shooter; likely to face charges

Sources say the co-owner of Kokopellis is the one who pulled the trigger in a shooting at the Fourth Street bar early Sunday morning and will likely face charges.

Joe Glick, who owns Kokoeplli’s with his father Barry, was questioned last night by police but sources say he quickly consulted an attorney and was released Sunday morning.

By mid-week, Glick will likely be formally charged with aggravated assault or similar crimes in the shooting of an unarmed black man Sunday morning, according to sources. The victim, who was treated and released from a local hospital, has not been cooperative. However, sources say there are at least two witnesses.  

Police are still trying to piece together a motive for the shooting - which will determine the charges - and it’s unclear if Glick owned the handgun or if it belonged to someone else at the bar. Police are still trying to determine if it was legally registered, if the owner had a permit or it was an illegal weapon.

Also, search warrants are in the works to confiscate video that may or may not have been taken from cameras at the bar. The Glicks made much of the sophisticated surveillance system they have in place in the wake of a Jan. 25, 2014 melee during which eight police officers were injured and that sparked cries of police brutality and discrimination.

TEDESCO

On Jan. 1, the Glicks announced they were shuttering the bar and placed blame squarely on the Troy Police Department. While the bar may not be open on a regular basis, the Glicks have not surrendered their liquor license and are still legally hosting private parties.

“Kokopellis is closing as a result of an incident that occurred in January of 2014 in which the Troy Police department brutally beat a patron for no reason, which caused some uproar from the community,” according to a statement posted on the social media site Facebook. “Owners Barry and Joe Glick spoke out against the Troy Police Department for their actions and since that time, they felt they have been targeted and harassed.”

BARRY GLICK

On Jan. 25, 2014, police answered a 911 call about a brawl at the bar. The Glicks say bouncers had spotted someone smoking marijuana on the second floor and, despite a scuffle, had everything under control by the time the TPD arrived at the scene.

A cellphone video showed a handful of police officers beating a black man, Roshowan Donley, with nightsticks and then forcibly restraining him. Surveillance video released by the Glicks show police entering what appeared to be a peaceful scene of patrons leaving the bar. The Glicks, during public forums hosted by the city Council, claim everything was under control until police started harassing the clientele.

Barry Glick, during one of the forums, infuriated many citizens, and officers and Troy Police Chief John Tedesco, by likening the TPD to the KKK while other citizens held marches to protest what they claim is rampant police brutality with minorities more often than not the victims.

The Glicks have filed a notice of claim which is the first step in a formal lawsuit against the city.

Tedesco was unavailable for comment.

More information as it becomes available.