Fort Wayne, Indiana – Six men have been arrested for alleged involvement in the now-viral beating at Pikes Pub, including the owner’s boyfriend, according to court documents filed Wednesday.
All six men are alleged members of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club, and they were seen wearing Outlaw gear at the bar that night. The arrests occurred within a day of the warrants being issued.
On May 30, a violent beating occurred at Pikes Pub, and a video of it went viral on social media. It showed several white men dressed in Outlaw gear attacking James Simmons, a Black man, while racial slurs were heard in the background, leading many to believe the beating was a hate crime.
Justin Wert, a Churubusco man, faces charges of criminal recklessness, strangulation, and battery resulting in serious injury. He was arrested in Lima, Ohio, according to Sgt. Ken Litzenberg of the Allen County Sheriff’s Department. His arrest was the first reported in connection with the beating.
According to court documents, someone provided a Crime Stoppers tip identifying Wert as the man who threw the first punch at Simmons and then placed him in a headlock.
According to court records, 52-year-old Jerrad Wade Impton was booked into the Allen County Jail on Thursday for two counts of battery resulting in serious bodily injury. Impton is accused of punching Simmons in the back of the head “at the beginning of the battery,” according to court documents.
Later that day, Douglas Robert Zuber, 66, was arrested in Allen County Jail on charges of battery resulting in serious injury and criminal recklessness. And, according to Allen Superior Court documents, his girlfriend owns the bar.
Zuber claimed Simmons had been “badgering” him for an hour about closing the bar for a private party one night. Zuber claimed he kept refusing and telling Simmons to pay his tab and leave the bar. He also claimed Simmons began walking to the door instead of paying, which resulted in the battery.
However, a witness told police. Simmons was a regular at the bar, so payment was not an issue. “It was never about paying the tab, because he always pays his tab,” the witness claimed, adding that the bartender was attempting to “abuse his authority.”
According to court documents, the viral video showed Zuber wearing an Outlaw shirt telling Simmons to pay his tab before shoving him back toward the bar. Zuber was also accused of yelling racial slurs, as seen in the video.
Three more men were arrested and charged: Ryan Minick, Christopher Yoho, and Kent Adamonis.
Minick is accused of getting in Simmons’ way before the assault began. Minick is eventually charged with “jumping in the middle of the battery” and throwing punches, according to court documents.
According to court documents, Yoho allegedly grabbed Simmons from behind during the attack and ripped his safety vest. He is also accused of throwing a chair at Simmons.
Adamonis, the sixth alleged suspect, is accused of punching and kicking Simmons while he was on the ground.
Simmons spoke out for the first time last week, announcing that he will file charges against those involved.
Tips to police and through Crime Stoppers poured in, resulting in a handful of arrests.
Wert was arrested while transporting materials to a tank plant in Lima, Ohio. Another was arrested at his workplace in Huntington County, and three more were apprehended in Allen County, either at their workplace or at home. The final suspect was discovered hiding on a lakeside property in Steuben County.
The attack sparked community rallies, a petition that has received over 6,000 signatures, and responses from various local officials. Although it occurred just outside the city limits, Fort Wayne’s mayor and city council addressed the issue; Councilwoman At-Large Michelle Chambers has asked the Indiana Alcohol & Tobacco Commission to review Pikes Pub’s practices and licensing. State Representative Phil GiaQuinta is advocating for stricter hate crime laws in the state.
The Allen County Sheriff’s Department announced last week that the FBI is involved in the investigation. Other agencies involved include the Allen County Sheriff’s Department, Allen County Adult Probation, Allen County Prosecutor’s Office, Steuben County Sheriff’s Department, New Haven Police Department, Shawnee Township (Ohio) Police Department, Auburn Police Department, Fort Wayne Police Department, Huntington Police Department, Indiana State Police, and the United States Army Military Police Corps (Lima, Ohio).
“This case demonstrates how law enforcement agencies can work together to achieve rapid and effective results,” Sheriff Troy Hershberger stated. “There’s no place for violence like this in our community.”
The sheriff’s department also stated that the original video had been preserved as evidence and will not be released at this time. Anyone with additional information or footage should contact investigators.
