Three bars account for bulk of 911 calls in downtown Jefferson City

When it comes to 911 calls to downtown drinking spots, three bars accounted for the bulk of the calls.

In 2022, there have been 111 calls made to 911 that dispatched officers to drinking establishments in downtown Jefferson City. Of those calls, 76 percent of them came from three establishments.

Almost half of those calls came from one bar, which was the location of a double homicide in November.

J Pfenny's, Big Whiskey's and Bones Restaurant and Lounge accounted for 85 of the 111 calls made in 2022, according to police call records from eight bars acquired by the News Tribune. The other establishments, Bar Vino, Cork & Board, High Street Pub, JQ's On High and Prison Brews, had a combined 26 calls.

Of the three bars with the highest number of calls, J Pfenny's had the most. In fact, J Pfenny's alone had more calls than the next two bars combined with 51 calls.

Big Whiskey's and Bones both had 17.

The most common calls from J Pfenny's were "disturbances" with 10 calls, "move subjects on" with six calls, assaults with five calls and security patrols with five calls. The remainder of the calls from the bar included narcotics, weapons, assisting citizens, well-being checks, follow-ups and more with one to three calls each.

J Pfenny's had the highest number of calls in November with eight calls, followed by seven each in May and August, and six in October.

The most common calls from Big Whiskey's included disturbances, well-being checks and accident property damage. October and September had the most calls of the year with five and three, respectively.

Bones most commonly had calls for disturbances, moving subjects on, assisting citizens and security patrols. The highest number of calls came in during September, with five calls and in May, with three.

J Pfenny's high call volume relative to other bars in the area culminated with a double homicide committed Nov. 26.

Around 1 a.m. that Saturday, multiple officers responded to reports of gunshots inside of J Pfenny's. Officers on the scene found two victims with fatal gunshot wounds and arrested 35-year-old Damien L. Davis, who was later charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action, unlawful use of weapons and unlawful possession of a firearm, according to previous reporting.

The victims were Skylar Smock and Corey Thames. According to previous reporting on the Jefferson City Police Department's probable cause statement, witnesses told investigators Davis and Thames were involved in a fight in the bar. According to the statement, the two men were wrestling over a firearm on the floor when Smock, an employee, intervened and separated them.

As Smock tried to escort Thames out of the bar, Davis came up behind them and shot them both multiple times. According to the statement, Davis put a single shot into the back of Smock's head before firing at Thames. Witnesses told investigators that Davis walked over to Thames, whose legs were still moving, and fired several more rounds into his chest.

More than one witness described Thames as having a "smirk" on his face after the shooting, the statement said. The entire incident was recorded on surveillance equipment, according to previous reporting.

According to 911 call records, J Pfenny's was the only drinking establishment in 2022 to make calls for assault, weapons, narcotics, warrant arrest and homicide. It also had more disturbances than any other bar with 10 calls.

The next highest was Bones with four disturbance calls. Big Whiskey's and High Street Pub both had three calls.

Across all eight establishments, the most common incidents called in were disturbances with 21 calls, "move subjects on" with 11, security patrols with nine, well-being checks with nine, and assist citizens with seven.

The highest number of calls were placed in May with 17 calls, followed by November with 16, October with 14, September with 13 and March with 11.

Coming up on almost a month since the shooting, J Pfenny's has yet to reopen. It's unclear when the bar will reopen its doors to the public. Currently, the front doors and windows are still covered in messages of support and mourning for Smock, with candles and flowers littering the ground. The back door, located in the alley next to Bones, is also covered in messages from the community.