The Tuscaloosa City Council voted to revoke the business license of a lounge where a customer was recently killed. The council voted unanimously after a split crowd filled the council chambers on Tuesday.Cru Tuscaloosa’s business license was approved just six months before customer Rashid Little was killed. Representatives for the lounge said Grizzley Security was hired to protect its customers. This was the third company management hired since opening, but the council decided that wasn’t enough. Too many safety concerns from the community pushed the council to make the decision.“I can’t get my friend back but I do feel a little confident about that decision that was made,” Little’s friend Shalarrious Jones said.Third-party security guard Aaron Hill is accused of killing Little on Jan. 21 after an altercation inside the business. The city argued the business had a responsibility to ensure security guards hired are licensed through the Alabama Security Regulatory Board.“Is Grizzley licensed by the state regulatory board?” the city then asked TPD captain Marty Sellers and received an answer of, “No.”“Is Aaron Hill licensed by that board?” the city then asked Sellers, receiving a response of, “He was not.”Representation for the business argues staff did what they could to de-escalate the situation.“Neither of the two employees that were there could’ve done anything to have prevented the killing,” Cam Parsons, Cru Tuscaloosa representation, said. “The killing happened in a matter of seconds.”When the council approved Cru Tuscaloosa’s business license in June 2023, there were concerns of overcrowding inside the 68-person capacity venue. Staff said they would use a reservation system to limit the amount of time customers spent inside to two hours and offered first-come, first-serve seating at the bar. Tuscaloosa Police Chief Brent Blankley visited the lounge on a few occasions and saw the bar over capacity.Police believe the lounge was over capacity when Little was killed. TPD chief Brent Blankley said the police will be looking into other businesses’ security companies to make sure they’re licensed with the state security regulatory board.
The Tuscaloosa City Council voted to revoke the business license of a lounge where a customer was recently killed. The council voted unanimously after a split crowd filled the council chambers on Tuesday.
Cru Tuscaloosa’s business license was approved just six months before customer Rashid Little was killed. Representatives for the lounge said Grizzley Security was hired to protect its customers. This was the third company management hired since opening, but the council decided that wasn’t enough. Too many safety concerns from the community pushed the council to make the decision.
“I can’t get my friend back but I do feel a little confident about that decision that was made,” Little’s friend Shalarrious Jones said.
Third-party security guard Aaron Hill is accused of killing Little on Jan. 21 after an altercation inside the business. The city argued the business had a responsibility to ensure security guards hired are licensed through the Alabama Security Regulatory Board.
“Is Grizzley licensed by the state regulatory board?” the city then asked TPD captain Marty Sellers and received an answer of, “No.”
“Is Aaron Hill licensed by that board?” the city then asked Sellers, receiving a response of, “He was not.”
Representation for the business argues staff did what they could to de-escalate the situation.
“Neither of the two employees that were there could’ve done anything to have prevented the killing,” Cam Parsons, Cru Tuscaloosa representation, said. “The killing happened in a matter of seconds.”
When the council approved Cru Tuscaloosa’s business license in June 2023, there were concerns of overcrowding inside the 68-person capacity venue. Staff said they would use a reservation system to limit the amount of time customers spent inside to two hours and offered first-come, first-serve seating at the bar. Tuscaloosa Police Chief Brent Blankley visited the lounge on a few occasions and saw the bar over capacity.
Police believe the lounge was over capacity when Little was killed. TPD chief Brent Blankley said the police will be looking into other businesses’ security companies to make sure they’re licensed with the state security regulatory board.
