Jury rules for East Cape Girardeau nightclub in lawsuit over 2003 shooting

EAST CAPE GIRARDEAU, Ill. -- A federal jury last week rejected the claims by a man shot at the Purple Crackle nightclub in East Cape Girardeau that the owners didn't do enough to prevent the 2003 shooting.

Willis Freeman, wounded in the incident by Romell Watkins, sought $186,000 from the nightclub, which closed at the end of 2005, Purple Crackle attorney Mark Johnson said. He claimed his wounds resulted in a torn rotator cuff in his shoulder, Johnson said.

The case was tried in the U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau.

Freeman was wounded in the neck during the incident, which took place Dec. 6, 2003. Watkins discharged a gun in the bathroom of the club, and the gun went off again as Watkins and bouncer Lawrence Sparks struggled for the weapon.

Both Freeman and another man, James Moore, were treated for minor wounds and released.

Freeman's attorney argued that the club should have had a metal detector to prevent patrons from entering with weapons, Johnson said. The eight-person jury took less than an hour to deliver a verdict in favor of the nightclub, he said.

The nightclub's defense was that it took the reasonable steps needed to protect its patrons, Johnson said.

A claim that the club negligently allowed Watkins to become intoxicated was dismissed by the judge because evidence showed he had been in the bar less than five minutes, Johnson said.

The Purple Crackle is owned by David Pierce. It closed after New Year's Eve 2005, Johnson said.

The speed of the verdict "confirmed my opinion about the strength of our case," Johnson said.