Jury awards $27M to family of man killed outside Short North bar

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A jury awarded $27 million to the family of a man who died after he was attacked by two security guards outside of a Short North bar in 2022.

The attorneys who represented the family said the security guards "were poorly trained, unsupervised, and ultimately hired without background checks."

The law firm said the decision should send a message to anyone who profits from nightlife that they are responsible for the safety of their patrons.

Gregory Coleman Jr., 37, worked as a manager and bartender at Short North Pint House nearby. He ordered food from a stand parked in front of Julep. Watch previous coverage in the player above.

Chrystian Foster, who is listed as one of Julep’s security guards in the complaint, reportedly approached Coleman and asked him to leave the premises.

Video released by the Columbus police shows Coleman and Foster squaring up with each other, the latter of whom successfully landed a punch. Dwayne Cummings, who is listed in the complaint as a 6-year veteran security guard for Julep’s parent company, is then seen in the video sucker punching Coleman from the side, causing the 37-year-old “to crumble to the ground and smash his skull on the pavement,” the complaint reads.

Coleman was taken to a hospital where he eventually died from his injuries.

The security guards involved were both sentenced to prison after they were convicted of murder. The bar had argued that the two men were not their employees.