Thorntons fires security firm after fatal shooting by guard at downtown Louisville store
Kentucky gas station chain Thorntons says it's terminated its contract with a security firm, days after a guard was accused of shooting and killing someone at a downtown store.
Louisville Metro Police officials responded to a report of a shooting just after 10 p.m. Sunday at the Thorntons gas station and convenience store at the corner of Broadway and First Street, according to LMPD's preliminary investigation. Two men had been involved in an altercation, department spokeswoman Alicia Smiley said at the time, when one man shot the other one.
The man killed was identified as David Keith Dickson, 36, of Louisville, by the Jefferson County Coroner's Office. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The shooter, 31-year-old Tavon Parrish, of Jeffersonville, Indiana, stayed at the scene, Smiley said at the time, and was later charged with murder.
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After waiving his Miranda rights, according to his arrest citation, Parrish told detectives Dickson was a customer in the store and was confronted by Parrish after stealing a can of beer. Parrish then pointed a gun at Dickson and shot him "because he believed the victim wanted to fight him," the citation states.
"We are deeply saddened by the fatality that occurred at our store. We are actively working with local authorities during this ongoing investigation," an email from the store's corporate communications department to The Courier Journal stated. "Additionally, the contract with the third-party security company related in this shooting has been terminated."
Thorntons did not respond to a follow-up question about whether the company provided security for all Louisville locations.
Thorntons would not identify the security company it had been working with, but police records indicate Parrish was working for Florida-based Alert Patrol Inc.
City records show Alert Patrol did not have an active armed security business license on record with Louisville Metro. Multiple representatives from the company declined to comment or answer any questions about Parrish's employment status or about the shooting.
According to court records, Parrish pleaded guilty to a possession of marijuana charge in July 2021. As part of his plea agreement, Parrish was not supposed to possess a firearm for two years.
Police records show Parrish is facing additional charges put forward by the Louisville Metro Alcoholic Beverage Control that accuse him of violating licensing and registration requirements while working as an armed security guard for Alert Patrol.
Parrish's bond was set at $500,000 cash.
Thorntons is based out of Louisville and touts more than 200 locations across six states, including more than 50 in Kentucky.
Contact reporter Krista Johnson at kjohnson3@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Thorntons fires Alert Patrol firm after fatal Louisville shooting
