04/23/17 — Bouncer killed in bar fight, two charged

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Bouncer killed in bar fight, two charged

By Ethan Smith
Published in News on April 23, 2017 11:09 AM

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Chandler

Kirk

SEVEN SPRINGS -- Two Wayne County men are charged with murder after allegedly beating a security staff member to death outside Maynard's Night Club Saturday night, according to a press release from the Wayne County Sheriff's Office.

Jerry Wayne Anthony Chandler, 32, and Dustin Steve Kirk, 27, both of 2081 Old Grantham Road, were each charged with one count of murder.

EMS pronounced the victim, Michael Ray Brinkley, 49, of Kinston, dead at the scene.

The release said five people were fighting with someone inside the night club at 5404 N.C. 55 East in the upstairs section, and security then escorted the five people outside.

According to the release, three of those people were cooperative but the other two were not.

Once the five people were outside, Chandler and Kirk allegedly took Brinkley to the ground and assaulted him at about 11 p.m., according to the release.

The release said they then left the scene and patrons of the club immediately noticed Brinkley was unresponsive and called EMS and began performing CPR on him.

EMS got to the scene and continued treating Brinkley, but pronounced him dead around 11:45 p.m.

Authorities were given a description of Chandler and Kirk by witnesses. The men were later arrested at their home at 2081 Old Grantham Road.

Chandler and Kirk are now being held without bond in the Wayne County Detention Center.

Maj. Tom Effler said he believes the men attacked Brinkley because they did not want to leave. He did not know how much, or if, the men had been drinking prior to the attack.

Joe Sadler, Wayne County ABC law enforcement chief, said himself and ALE agent Daniel Spell responded to the scene after receiving a call from Wayne County Sheriff Larry Pierce.

Sadler said he and Spell conducted a preliminary investigation into the incident.

Sadler added that they will also conduct a follow-up investigation this week into several issues they believe are present at Maynard's.

"It will take two to three weeks to finish the investigation and then we will submit paperwork to the ABC Commission in Raleigh with our findings, and they will decide what to do with their permits," Sadler said.