Was violence at The Alleycat to be expected? One of 5 shooting victims sues Tacoma bar
One of five people shot inside The Alleycat Patio & Lounge in November has sued the Central Tacoma bar, alleging that criminal conduct there was not unexpected given the violence in and around the establishment for years.
Levar Couch, the plaintiff in a lawsuit filed Feb. 1 in Pierce County Superior Court, had gone to the bar on Nov. 5 to play pool with his friend, James Reha. Reha, 35, was fatally shot after a reported verbal disagreement near the pool table between him and the alleged gunman, Alante Bryan Peterson, at about the same time as a large fight in an outdoor area of the bar, according to the lawsuit.
Peterson, 28, was charged with first-degree murder just days after the shooting, which also left dead 34-year Monic Swan. Peterson allegedly fired indiscriminately into the bar after shooting Reha, charging papers said, also striking but not killing three others, including Couch.
Couch, 39, was shot in the groin, according to the lawsuit. His attorney, Rob Wilke, said in an interview that it’s been a long and slow process toward recovery, with Couch still having difficulty moving and dealing with the trauma of the incident, including witnessing his friend being killed.
“This lawsuit is all about making sure this doesn’t happen again and making sure the public is safe,” Wilke said. “This was a tragedy that affected so many lives.”
Wilke said he wasn’t aware of any details of the altercation that spurred the shooting other than what had been revealed in charging papers, nor did he know whether Couch had been targeted or just caught in the crossfire. The investigation by authorities suggested that Couch and the gunman were arguing.
A female bystander’s cellphone video appeared to show the gunman yelling back and forth with a man identified as “likely L.C.,” who was later shot near the groin, according to charging papers. L.C. allegedly tried repeatedly to “insert himself into unwanted conversations with (the bystander) and other females,” apparently annoying Peterson, who exchanged words with L.C., the papers said.
The lawsuit alleged that The Alleycat had a duty to protect Couch from criminal harm as a customer, should have been aware that criminal conduct was “reasonably foreseeable” based on prior events and failed to take any reasonable measures to prevent unsafe activity or warn patrons about risks.
When reached by phone Monday, Josh Norris, the bar’s owner, said he wanted to confer with his legal counsel about whether to comment on the allegations. Norris ultimately did not provide comment by deadline Tuesday and didn’t immediately return a follow-up inquiry. An attorney representing Norris declined to comment.
In an interview with The News Tribune days after the shooting, Norris had said that it had been an otherwise typical night when last-call was announced before the shooting.
“For things to escalate to the level that they did, it’s obviously devastating,” he said then.
The lawsuit claimed that Peterson had worn a fanny pack containing a handgun and that The Alleycat’s bouncers hadn’t checked customers’ bags for firearms or other weapons. The complaint noted several unsafe incidents reported in the bar since 2022, including customer assaults and other troubling incidents that had occurred near the establishment, such as guns being fired into the air and fights.
Norris spoke to police on back-to-back days in August after someone with a handgun shot up vehicles and the front of his business, forcing staff to lock themselves in the building, according to the lawsuit. Norris called 911 the next day and requested police presence when informed that six to eight people were driving around outside.
“Since opening in 2019 there have been numerous violent incidents at the Alleycat and its immediate vicinity,” the suit stated.
The bar at 2708 6th Ave. had just celebrated its fourth anniversary when the fatal shooting occurred. It opened in a neighborhood known for funky boutiques and independent bars and restaurants, The News Tribune previously reported, setting out to be an everyday bar with Mediterranean-inspired food.
It has been closed since November.
The suit is seeking unspecified damages to be proven at trial, attorney’s fees and other costs.
