Philadelphia Security Guard Charged With Murder
PHILADELPHIA PA April 29 2022 The security guard who was wanted on a third-degree murder charge for punching a man outside of a Center City Philadelphia bar earlier this month, leading to his death, is now in custody.
Twenty-four-year-old Kenneth Frye surrendered to police around 2:20 p.m. Thursday.
Frye, of the 1800 block of Susquehanna Avenue, was being sought in the death of 41-year-old Eric Pope.
Police say Pope was escorted out of Tabu Bar and Lounge on April 16 for being intoxicated. That’s when he was punched by Frye, investigators say.
Pope fell to the ground and died from his injuries, which included trauma to the brain, at the hospital days after the incident.
The events leading up to the punch are still under investigation.
Tabu says Frye was not an employee of the bar and that he worked for a private security company.
“I just can’t fathom anyone hurting him because he’s so good, so helpful and so honest. It’s just difficult,” said the family member of 41-year-old Eric Pope.
Activists from the LGBTQ community gathered outside the Tabu Bar and Lounge on Tuesday.
“He was murdered, and he was murdered by someone, a guard, who in my opinion was homophobic and had some major issues,” said Asa Khalif, an LGBTQ community organizer.
Rico Conforti, a longtime friend of Pope, says he did not deserve to die this way.
“It’s unbelievable. It’s horrible,” said Conforti.
