A person. A night out ruined. A man behind bars.
Why? According to Columbus Police Chief Joseph Daughtry, it was poor conflict resolution skills.
Daryl Cornell Hill, 36, faces aggravated assault charges for allegedly shooting a male victim early Sunday morning inside Club Ada on the 200 block of 13th Street North. Columbus SWAT officers arrested Hill Wednesday afternoon.
“There was a disturbance between Hill and the victim inside the club,” Daughtry told media members during a press conference Thursday at the police department. “… It was a verbal altercation, which led to a physical altercation, which led to gunfire. We have got to learn how to resolve conflict without pulling guns.
“After watching the video from the club, we had several people in there having a good time,” he added. “They weren’t bothering anybody. … They were doing their thing. And you’ve got some people who just don’t know how to deal with conflict ruining it for everybody.”
Police responded to the club shooting at about 1 a.m. Sunday and discovered a private citizen had driven the victim to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle. He suffered a single gunshot wound to the abdomen, Daughtry said, and investigators found a single shell casing inside the club.
We’re thankful it wasn’t worse than what it was,” Daughtry said. “He could have shot multiple times, and multiple people could have been shot.”
Between witness statements and cooperation from the victim, police identified Hill as the suspect and were tipped off to his location Wednesday, enabling his arrest.
The victim has been released from intensive care but is still recovering at Baptist, Lt. Chris Smith said at the press conference.
Daughtry said the club hired security for the night of the shooting but the gun got in anyway.
“We’re still not sure how that happened,” he said.
Daughtry also made a plug for clubs hiring off-duty police officers for security details as a “win-win for everybody,” seemingly pitching it as superior to hiring from private firms. He said he’s talked to several interested businesses already.
“It allows our officers to make some extra money, and it also gives you a good, stern presence,” he said. “We do have some very reputable security companies in this area, but at the end of the day, their word says, ‘Security’ and our word says, ‘Police.’ Citizens look at it differently.”
Daughtry then returned to discussing conflict resolution and how a lot of violent crimes could have been “held to a conversation.”
“You have some people who have had a hard week at work and just want to get out and have a good time,” Daughtry said. “Some people want to take their girlfriends, or their husbands want to go out, have a nice night, listen to music, maybe eat some food, have some drinks or whatever, and your night is ruined by something like this.
“Think about this. If you’re inside a club one minute, and you’re having fun, and a shooting (breaks) out, there are a lot of people who are terrified now … that every little sound they hear, now they’re scared,” he added. “… We are not going to let up on the criminal element. I need them to understand that. We are not coming to play with you.”
Zack Plair is the managing editor for The Dispatch.
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