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NEWS
Man killed downtown shot once in chest
Joe Jermaine Porter
HUNTINGTON -- The man killed in a police-involved shooting early Sunday morning died from a single gunshot wound to the chest, according to a release from the Huntington Police Department.
Joe Jermaine Porter, 30, died early Sunday morning after an exchange of gunfire at a downtown Huntington bar. The 3 a.m. Sunday shooting at Club Babylon forced a small group of bartenders, co-workers and patrons to take cover inside of a small room behind the bar. They estimate sporadic gunfire continued for as long as 20 minutes.
Huntington Police Chief Skip Holbrook has said an officer fired on Porter when he pointed a gun in the officer's direction. Holbrook said Porter died about 6 a.m. Sunday at Cabell Huntington Hospital. The police department hasn't released information about the officer's identity or the number of shots fired during the incident.
Gunshots injured three people before officers arrived on the scene.
An autopsy was conducted on Porter on Monday by the West Virginia State Medical Examiner's Office in Charleston, the release said. Police released information from the preliminary report on Tuesday. The autopsy was attended by officials from the Huntington Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the release said.
The department will send firearms evidence from the case to a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives lab in Maryland. Special Agent Bernie Teyssier said the laboratory is located near Ammendale, Md. Teyssier was unsure as to the nature or the volume of evidence scheduled for delivery. Teyssier said ballistic evidence would generally include firearms and shell casings.
Bartenders have said the shootings followed a dispute over a large amount of alcohol.
One bartender said a large group of men came into the bar shortly before closing time and ordered about $300 worth of shots. A group member started drinking shots without paying. That started an argument that involved that person, another member of the group, the bartender and the bar owner.
The bartender said he and several others huddled in a small room in the bar and heard sporadic gunfire for several minutes before hearing police shout orders. He heard police yell, "Surrender your weapon," followed by another person's, "No, no, no."
The shooting has resulted in a stepped up presence by troopers with the West Virginia State Police. Sources familiar with the investigation said troopers from various parts of the state were dispatched to Huntington. Authorities hoped the additional manpower would provide adequate staffing in the face of potentially more problems.
Tuesday's press release detailed the timeline about Porter's treatment and police response from Cabell County 911 reports. A call came from Huntington Police about shots fired at 3:06 a.m. Sunday. Cabell County Emergency Medical Services was dispatched to the scene at 3:11 a.m. and arrived at the club at 3:14 a.m. The EMS unit arrived at the hospital at 3:33 a.m. Porter died of his injuries at 6 a.m.
The Huntington Police Department has received assistance in the investigation from the ATF, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, West Virginia State Police, Cabell County Sheriff's Department and the Marshall University Police Department.
The nightclub shooting also created concern of potential retaliation among some emergency responders. Holbrook said Monday his department hadn't received any direct threats, but officers were being extra vigilant because of the "emotionally charged situation."
Holbrook declined comment when asked to describe items recovered in the investigation. He said at a Sunday press conference he hoped casings and projectiles would be ready by the end of the week.
Teyssier said he has provided two people to assist the city's investigation. One of those is an officer from the Huntington Police Department currently assigned to a regional ATF gun crimes task force.
Police have not said whether they know who shot the other three victims -- Marshall University student Christopher Lewis, 28, of Thurmond, Ohio; Sontezz Lomax, 29, of Huntington; and Reginald Marbury, 25, a Michigan native currently living in Huntington.
Porter, Lomax and Marbury each had arrest records locally, according to filings in the Cabell County Magistrate and Circuit Clerk's offices.
