Beloved pizzeria worker ‘Chicken Joe’ killed by stray bullet at work in West Virginia
A West Virginia town is mourning the death of a restaurant employee nicknamed “Chicken Joe” who was killed by a stray bullet.
D.P. Dough worker Joe Bryan, 28, was at the restaurant in Huntington when he was struck in the head by a bullet around 3:15 a.m. on Nov. 4, WSAZ reported. He died on Sunday, Nov. 6, his family told the outlet.
A fight had started in front of the Premier Pub & Grill, which was near the pizza restaurant, police told WOWK. The argument escalated to a shooting and Bryan was hit.
“Obviously we are slightly responsible for everything that happened, even if it is outside of the premises, and we do everything. We have a single entry,” Premier Pub & Grill owner Ronald Davis told WSAZ. “It was very tragic what happened here last night; it was completely uncalled for.”
Huntington residents Kristopher Brown, 21, and Gavin Scott Bailey, 20, were arrested in connection with the shooting, according to WOWK.
Brown is charged with nine felonies, including wanton endangerment and malicious wounding, according to WSAZ. Bailey faces charges of aiding and abetting malicious wounding and as aiding and abetting use of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
Community members lit red lights and held a candlelit vigil for Bryan on Nov. 6, which was shared on Facebook.
“My grandson played video games with him,” one person commented. “Really nice guy.”
Bryan’s sister Nickie Smith told WCHS that he got the nickname “Chicken Joe” in little league baseball and the name stuck with him through school.
“His classmates at Spring Valley had went right along with the Chicken Joe and they’d yell down the hallway, and he owned it. He loved it. He would just strut and he’d do the neck for them,” Misty Friend, Bryan’s aunt, told the outlet.
Huntington is about 55 miles west of Charleston.
This story was originally published November 8, 2022 at 4:32 PM with the headline "Beloved pizzeria worker ‘Chicken Joe’ killed by stray bullet at work in West Virginia."
