Man plows semi-truck into Tampa gentleman's club after getting kicked out, leaving 1 dead, 2 injured: Police

One dead, two injured after man drives into strip club

FOX 13's Kylie Jones reports.

TAMPA, Fla. - A man is in custody and critically injured after authorities say he purposely drove a semi into a Tampa gentleman's club after getting kicked out, killing one and injuring others.

According to the Tampa Police Department, officers responded to the Emperors Gentleman Club at 5718 E. Adamo Drive at around 4:19 a.m. Tuesday morning after a truck had collided with the front area of the building.

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Police said a bystander was killed, and two others were injured in the crash. Witnesses told police the 25-year-old driver had just been kicked out of the club and returned to drive the truck into a group of people standing at the entrance.

"This was a semi-tractor that was intentionally rammed at a group of individuals," Messmer said.

The two injured men are expected to survive their injuries. All three victims were customers at the club while the man involved in the initial altercation was not hit, police said.

"What the officers discovered was that after an altercation at the club, a 25-year-old white male subject exited the club, got into a vehicle and waited, lied in wait until the individual he had an altercation with exited the club," Messmer added.

Police say they were at least a half dozen people in the area.

"It was a chaotic scene," said Tampa Police Major Patrick Messmer, who also said it's not known how the suspect got access to the semi.

The driver was taken into custody, and he'll face charges of first degree murder, attempted murder and DUI manslaughter, police said. He is in critical but stable condition in the hospital.

"The fact that somebody has to lose their life over a minor altercation inside of a club, and now somebody else is facing the rest of their life in prison, it's very sobering and a very unfortunate incident," Messmer said.

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