Published: Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Bar owner, official clash after killing
Police say the tavern has been cooperating in death probe.
By TIM YOVICH
WARREN — The owner of a bar that was the scene of a weekend homicide believes a city councilman is picking on him.
"He pretty much has it out for me," said LaShawn Ziegler.
Ziegler, owner of Benji Brown's Bar and Grill, was referring to Councilman Alford L. Novak, D-2nd.
Novak wants to change state law to make it easier for voters in a precinct to close a liquor establishment. Novak's comments came in response to a shooting death outside Ziegler's bar.
Joseph D. Daniel, 33, of Palmyra Road Southwest, was shot several times outside Benji Brown's after it had closed shortly before 2:15 a.m. Sunday. He was pronounced dead at Forum Health Trumbull Memorial Hospital.
Detective Wayne Mackey, who is investigating the shooting death with Detective Justin Soroka, said witnesses told him Daniel had been in the bar, but his assailants hadn't been.
Some spent casings were found in the parking lot. No weapon was found on Daniel.
Zieger said a suspect he knows that police are looking for has had a running dispute with Daniel.
An autopsy will be performed today. If Daniel's death is ruled a homicide, it will be the city's seventh of the year, compared with three at this time a year ago.
"The bar has been cooperating with us," Mackey said, noting police have not received complaints about the bar, other than loud music. It opened in May.
Calling for legislation
Novak reiterated that he has been receiving complaints of loud music, noisy cars and littering since the tavern opened.
After the Daniel shooting, Novak called on his fellow lawmakers to pass a resolution that would allow residents in a precinct to vote to revoke the liquor permit of a single establishment, or what is known as a single-ballot issue.
But there already is a procedure to do this, according to the Trumbull County Board of Elections.
The elections board said a court must first declare the establishment a nuisance. Voters can cast votes to make the location "dry." For a site-specific issue to be placed on the Nov. 6 general elections ballot, it must be filed with the elections board by Aug. 23.
Although Ziegler owns the business, he said the liquor license is in the name of a friend, Marquita Gary.
Previous business closed
Ziegler is the former owner of 77 Soul on Youngstown Road in city's 5th Ward. It was ordered closed by the city in 2004 after it was cited by the city's building inspection department for not having sprinklers or fire walls.
Police had been called to 77 Soul many times on reports ranging from gunfire and stabbings to parking violations before it was shut down.
Gary, who owned the 77 Soul license, then attempted to get it transferred to 2261 N. Park to open Benji Brown's.
She abandoned the effort in January because Novak and Councilman Robert L. Dean Jr., D-at-large, expressed concern that it would increase crime and noise in the neighborhood.
And as it turned out, 2261 N. Park — the former Sons of Italy club — already had a license to operate at that location and a transfer wasn't required.
Ziegler has pending against the city a federal lawsuit claiming there was a scheme by current and former city officials to close down 77 Soul.
Ziegler said he is drawing older customers to reduce the chance of violence at Benji Brown's.
"I just need to be working," Ziegler said, noting he has to support his family. "We're trying to stop violence, period."
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