ABOVE: Bradley’s on 7th in Ybor. Photo via Facebook.
TAMPA | A patron of Bradley’s on 7th in Ybor who was assaulted in early December is asserting the LGBTQ establishment neglected to assist him during or after the altercation, a claim the bar’s owner disputes.
Video surveillance shows that Tampa resident Shawn Goodman was assaulted by two individuals outside of Bradley’s early Dec. 6, just before 12:30 a.m. According to Goodman, who first publicly shared details about the assault Dec. 12, he went to Bradley’s, which he visited regularly, on the evening of Dec. 5.
“This is supposed to be a safe haven for the gay community,” he shared via social media under the alias Shawn Edwards. “Every gay friendly bar should be a safe haven for people who have struggled with hate [their] whole life … especially after Pulse and all these hate crimes in Ybor. Unfortunately, that was not the case on the 5th, where I was jumped by multiple people in front of security of Bradley’s.”
His post asserts that the bar’s head of security ignored the matter. “Instead of doing his job and helping a member of the LGBT community he [didn’t] do anything,” it reads. It later adds “they left me on the ground in front of Bradley’s without any help.”
Goodman also alleged that police were advised the establishment’s cameras were inoperable. He says in the post that he attempted to contact bar owner Bradley Nelson but received no response. View his post in full below:
Nelson publicly responded via his establishment’s social media Dec. 16 after the bar was inundated with negative feedback on review platforms. He shared a recording of the assault, noting that Goodman had not attempted to contact him and advising his assertions were “filled with half-truths.”
“My purpose in writing this post is not [to] try and discredit the injury that Mr. [Goodman] sustained,” Nelson wrote. “Fight injuries are [a] big deal regardless of who is at fault. And no one deserves to be hurt. My purpose in writing this is to explain what happened from Bradley’s perspective, and maybe calm the mob mentality that has resulted from Mr. [Goodman’s] post.”
Nelson subsequently detailed the incident, which occurred on public property. “Security who was working the front door [saw] the fight,” he shared, “but [were] not allowed to intervene. Security is strictly forbidden to deal with anything over the property line. Security is there to secure the INSIDE of Bradley’s, the patio and to keep patrons safe while they are on Bradley’s property. The police secure public property.
“It has been this way since day one when Bradley’s opened, the night of this incident, and will continue to be this way,” he continued. “It is also not limited just to Bradley’s. No business has any coverage on public property.”
Watermark confirmed the altercation began inside of the bar between two additional parties. Goodman says he attempted to assist one of them and alerted security, eventually resulting in their ejection from the bar. Once outside, one of the individuals assaulted the head of security, resulting in a 911 call, and Goodman was also attacked.
“The fight lasts less than one minute,” Nelson posted. “The police arrive within 30 seconds of the fight ending … As anyone can see from the video, Mr. [Goodman] is never alone on the ground. And within 30 seconds of the fight ending he is walking away with the police officers.”
Nelson’s full response and video of the altercation, which Watermark cautions contains violent content, is embedded below. Please note that while viewing the content via mobile device, clicking the social media platform’s icon embedded in the video may be required to view the statement via Facebook.
Letter from Bradley Nelson, owner of Bradley’s on 7th
December 16, 2019
On Thursday, December 12, 2019, one of my employees forwarded me a Facebook post from Shawn Edwards. This was the first notice I had received regarding an incident that occurred on 12/05/19, involving Mr. Edwards. I was not at Bradley’s when this incident occurred. I had been notified that a fight had occurred, and my head of security had been struck in the face. It appeared the fight involved 4 trouble makers; that started inside Bradley’s, and ended on the sidewalk outside. The police were on scene and handled the matter.
Upon reading Mr. Edward’s post, it was obvious that it was filled with half-truths and he left half the information out. My purpose in writing this post is not try and discredit the injury that Mr. Edwards sustained. Fight injuries are big deal regardless of who is at fault. And no one deserves to be hurt. My purpose in writing this is to explain what happened from Bradley’s perspective, and maybe calm the mob mentality that has resulted from Mr. Edwards post.
I would first like to point out that Mr. Edward’s never once tried to contact me. I was NOT contacted via business or personal phone call, text, email, regular mail, or by having someone come into the bar and request someone contact Mr. Edwards. Most of these forms of contact leave a verification trail, and if Mr. Edwards can provide any verification of attempted contact, I will publically apologize to him. I can verify that Mr. Edwards does know how to reach out to me. He contacted me via Facebook Messenger on February 7th, asking to be unbanned from Bradley’s. Mr. Edwards wanted to pay for a tab that had been paid for by his friend with a stolen credit card. Mr.Edwards further advises he had to take out a restraining order against his friend.
Although I was not at the bar, I cannot image any employee stating there was no video. THERE IS VIDEO. But Mr. Edwards never contacted me requesting to see the video. Nor did I know that he was interested in the video until I read his post.
It should also be noted that THIS WAS NOT A HATE CRIME. All parties involved in this fight are gay, or very gay friendly. All parties had frequented Bradley’s many times in the past.
This incident began on the inside of Bradley’s. Mr. Edwards friend, Kevin Rivera got into an altercation with Elijah Jones and female known as Kay Kay. Elijah Jones slapped Kevin Rivera and all 3 (not including Shawn Edwards) were removed from the bar. Once outside, Mr. Edwards became verbally abusive with Dwaine Williams, the head of security at Bradley’s. Mr. Edwards felt his friend, Kevin Rivera was unjustly made to leave. Due to Mr. Edward’s persistence, Dwaine Williams then advised Mr. Edwards he could no longer go back into Bradley’s. At this point, Mr. Edward’s friend, Kevin Rivera punches Dwaine Williams, the head of security, in the face and runs away. While Dwaine is dealing with being punched in the face. Tommi Calloway, who had also been inside and the girl named Kay Kay, began to fight Mr. Edwards. This occurred on the sidewalk in front of Bradley’s. Security who was working the front door, see the fight, but are not allowed to intervene. Security is strictly forbidden to deal with anything over the property line. Security is there to secure the INSIDE of Bradley’s, the patio and to keep patrons safe while they are on Bradley’s property. The police secure public property. If a security member goes onto public property, they immediately have no worker’s compensation coverage should they become injured. They also have no liability protection on public property and become legally liable themselves for anything that happens. It has been this way since day one when Bradley’s opened, the night of this incident, and will continue to be this way. It is also not limited just to Bradley’s. No business has any coverage on public property.
The video from beginning to end is 1:42 minutes. The fight lasts less than one minute. The police arrive within 30 seconds of the fight ending. The police had already been notified about Dwaine Williams being punched and were on their way to Bradley’s. Three police officers walk up and Mr. Edwards walks away from Bradley’s with the three officers. A police officer who was headed to Bradley’s from the opposite direction, stopped Tommi Calloway and Kay Kay, the two people who had beat Mr. Edward’s and asked Dwaine Williams if these were the two involved in the fight. Dwaine Williams advised they were. Mr. Edwards then stated they were NOT the people involved in the fight with him, and the police let the two people go. This is a mystery as to why Mr. Edwards said it was not them, as the video clearly shows that it was Tommi Calloway and Kay Kay. After Mr. Edwards walks away with the 3 police officers, the entire event is over and nothing else occurs.
I would like to point out that Mr. Edward’s statement: “The night they left me on the ground in front of Bradley’s without any help” is totally fabricated. As anyone can see from the video, Mr. Edwards is never alone on the ground. And within 30 seconds of the fight ending he is walking away with the police officers.As of 3:00pm this afternoon, Mary, at the Tampa Police Records Department advised there is no police report and no indication that one is forth coming.
Statement from Dwaine Williams
Head of Security at Bradley’s on 7thOn 12/06/19 at approximately 12:15 am, I was called to assist a member of the security staff to remove several individuals from the dance bar. After a brief investigation, it was learned that there was a verbal altercation that became violent between two male subjects. I ejected the two male subjects, later identified as Elijah Jones and Kevin Rivera. After removing the two subjects, I was approached by Shawn Edwards claiming I unjustly removed his friend from the property. A short time later, Shawn Edwards started to argue with the remaining members of the other party becoming overly aggressive. At that point he was asked to exit the property as well. Seconds after ejecting Shawn Edwards, the friend he was lobbying for, Kevin Rivera, punched me in the face and took off running. While I was talking to the other staff members about what had taken place, a fight started between Shawn Edwards and Tommi Calloway. At some point Shawn Edwards fell to the ground and was kicked by a female known to me as Kay Kay. The entire event happened off property, lasting under two minutes. Tampa Police Department arrived on scene within 30 seconds of the fight ending. Shawn Edwards walked away from the scene with the Tampa Police Officers
Watermark confirmed with the Tampa Police Department that an investigation into the attack, which was not a hate crime, is underway. A report has not yet been finalized. According to spokesperson Eddy Durkin, a detective “has been working closely with the staff and owner of Bradley’s in an effort to identify and apprehend the suspects from that night.”
“The people who attacked me definitely need to be charged,” Goodman says. He adds that “as a community, we should be better about watching each other … we can’t idly stand by.”
