Big League Brews issued suspension letter after shooting in parking lot of Taylor bar

TAYLOR, Mich. (FOX 2) - The Taylor City Council issued a suspension order to Big League Brews, a popular bar in the city, after a shooting in the parking lot left one wounded over the weekend.

Mayor Tim Woolley said during a city council meeting that he spoke with the owner of the bar Tuesday and issued a letter of suspension following Sunday's shooting.

The backstory:

Police said the victim, a 27-year-old man from Ecorse, was in the parking lot of the bar when he was shot by a 17-year-old boy who was with two other men.

According to a police, a man driving a rented Tesla was picking up one of the suspects from the bar on Ecorse Road around 1 a.m. Sunday. The Tesla's cameras captured the shooting and the three suspects fleeing on foot, while the driver stayed at the scene and is cooperating.

"They were not patrons of the bar. They walked in the bar. Through the bar a couple times, and were just engaging this gentleman in the parking lot," Taylor Police Lt. Frank Canning said.

The three suspects have been identified, and two have been arrested, including the teen shooter. All three will face charges, while the driver will not be charged since he was not involved in the crime.

According to police, the suspects are from Melvindale, Detroit, and Dearborn Heights. It isn't clear what led to the shooting, but police said it doesn't appear that the suspects knew the victim, and two of the three suspects involved are connected to a gang in Detroit.

The victim underwent surgery but is expected to survive. 

Dig deeper:

In addition to the suspension issued by the city, Taylor Police Chief John Blair said his department has compiled a list of incidents that have occurred at the bar. That report was submitted to the Liquor Control Commission, he said at Tuesday's council meeting.

According to police, since 2022, there have been over 340 reported bar incidents in the city, with half reported at Big League Brews.

The establishment was in the news last year after a man was stabbed to death in the parking lot of Big League Brews while leaving a Halloween party. 

What's next:

The owner has 10 days from the day the suspension was issued to appeal. 

If he does not appeal or the appeal is not accepted, the suspension is slated to go into effect on June 27. Woolley would not specify how long the suspension would last.

What they're saying:

Owner Matthew Taylor said on social media that the bar would be open until Monday. He thanked patrons and said to "come and support the staff. Let’s laugh and stay positive and absolutely keep letting them know how you feel."

Meanwhile, employees and the community have been rallying behind the business in hopes that their thoughts will be heard by city council members. One man, Edward Perdomo, attended Tuesday's city council meeting to speak about the bar and the impact on the suspension. 

"I would just like to say that there's a few dozen families, employees and their families, that rely on the job down there," he said. "I know they take security seriously. I know they take identification seriously."

He went on to add that if the shooting ends up not being connected to the business, it isn't fair to the employees to punish the bar.

Kendyl Gryglas works at Big League Brews and said she was blindsided by the bar being closed for the next two months.

"This place was my fresh start. I just bought a house at 22 years old so this is awful timing for me, but this place has opened up so many doors for me," she said.

Her coworker, Kayla Kelley, said the bar is being unfairly targeted.

"I literally live across the street in the neighborhood — like a block into the neighborhood. I’ve never in my life been afraid," Kelley said. "They’re making us out to be something that we’re not because of people and their actions. Grown men making these decisions."

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