Edward Taylor Jr. was killed outside of Tampa’s Envy gentlemen’s club in the first week of the new year, and his family is now suing the establishment.
Comments from a rep for the Taylor family lawyer, Greg Francis, say that a complaint is asking for damages in excess of $15,000 as part of the Wrongful Death Act.
On January 3, CL reported that Taylor, who suffered from lupus, was involved in an early morning altercation where he was knocked to the ground.
A suspect, Ismael Ocasio, was arrested after the incident and charged with battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest without violence, but he posted bail, leaving him free as the investigation went on. The investigation from Tampa Police found that Ocasio pointed a handgun at Taylor. Ocasio then put the gun away and punched Taylor, who then fell and suffered upper body trauma. Officers on scene provided CPR to Taylor, a Jefferson High School grad, before Tampa Fire Rescue transported him to Tampa General Hospital where he died from his injuries at Tampa General Hospital.
In February, Tampa Police took Ismael Ocasio into custody and charged him with manslaughter and aggravated assault with a firearm. Taylor’s family asked for more answers from police in the weeks following, but this complaint is the latest news from the incident.
“The complaint alleges, among other issues, that Ocasio was allowed to enter the club with a deadly weapon and that the club had negligent security,” the law firm said in a news release. “Additionally, in spite of there being numerous incidents that required law enforcement involvement over the past few years, Envy had little to no security presence.”
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