The family of a man who was attacked outside of a Short North bar in September and later died is suing the two men accused of causing his death and the establishment where it happened.
The estate of 37-year-old Gregory Coleman Jr. filed the civil suit Friday with a jury in Franklin County Common Pleas Court. The suit names Dwayne Cummings and Chrystian Foster as defendants, the two men charged with murder in the same court. Both have pleaded not guilty to the charge and are being held in the Franklin County Jail.
The suit also names several Short North businesses, including Short North Julep, Park Street Cantina, Granero Lounge and Callhan's Bar and Rooftop, which all list Fadi Michael as the statutory agent. A number and email address listed for Short North Julep were not working Friday afternoon when WOSU attempted to make contact. A message sent to their social media page from WOSU was not returned.
Coleman died Sept. 18, after being in a coma about two weeks after he was struck outside of the establishment. The suit claims Cummings and Foster worked security for the group of businesses.
The suit also names five unknown parties, who were employees who allegedly failed to stop the assault and did not assist Coleman.
Coleman was getting food from a food stand on Sept. 5 in front of Short North Julep, and talking to people when Foster approached Coleman and asked him to leave the sidewalk, the civil case claims.
"Foster and Coleman were having words, the video footage appears to show Defendant Cummings leaving a security stool situated next to the entrance," the suit states. "When Coleman put his hands down and backed off to remove himself from the potential altercation, Cummings sucker punched him directly in the face causing Coleman to crumble to the ground and smash his skull on the pavement," according to the complaint.
The complaint also states Foster was wearing a flak jacket.
The suit continues, "While Coleman lay on Julep’s Premises unconscious and defenseless, Cummings and Foster took turns mercilessly beating his face in."
