A man has been apprehended in connection with the shooting at a Covington bar that left a security guard critically injured.
Franklin Smith, 44, was apprehended without incident after Covington police determined he was hiding at a hotel in Sharonville.
The Hamilton County Regional SWAT team aided in Smith’s arrest, and he was charged with first-degree assault.
Smith was wanted in connection with a gunshot that occurred at Hat Trick’s Sports Bar on Madison Avenue at 1:15 a.m. on May 17.
When police arrived, they discovered a man with multiple gunshot wounds, and the victim was transported to UC Medical Center.
After examining security video, police identified Smith as a suspect and began their hunt on May 20.
The victim is a security guard who has been with the establishment for nine years, according to the owner. The proprietor claims the shooting was over a drink that a woman was attempting to leave the bar with.
The video shows a security guard stepping in to take the woman’s drink. The owner claims that’s when Smith shot the guard.
“It’s disturbing that this level of violence is so close to what should be a great part of Covington, and when there’s a pattern of violence, that’s even more disturbing,” Brad Zapp, a property and company owner, said at the time.
Minutes before police arrived, video footage showed people scattering in the vicinity after bullets were fired.
The proprietor claimed it’s unclear whether Smith ever entered the bar. Anyone who enters is patted down and their IDs examined.
Police praised the investigators, Crime Stoppers, and community members for their assistance with the investigation.
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