The widow of a man killed outside the Capital City Club in July 2018 is suing the club, alleging it did not provide adequate security and protection for its guests despite a known crime problem in the Historic Brookhaven area.
Molly Broder, the wife of Christian Broder, filed her lawsuit against the Capital City Club on Feb. 24 in Fulton State Court. Broder, 34, of Washington, D.C., was shot July 8 during an armed robbery outside the club, which borders Brookhaven and Buckhead. He died July 21 from his injuries.
“Capital City Club negligently failed to provide proper security protection, security personnel, or an outside security presence on the property, and negligently failed to employ property security protections available to it,” the lawsuit claims.
“Capital City Club negligently failed to act on knowledge of prior crimes, and the surrounding high-crime area, and failed to act to correct, prevent, or warn of prior criminal activity and the dangerous environment of the premises and approaches,” the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit asks for a jury trial and the awarding of an undetermined amount in damages.
Capital City Club Manger Matt McKinney did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.
Christian Broder, 34, of Washington, D.C., was shot during an armed robbery outside the country club on the Brookhaven/Buckhead border. Atlanta Police said four victims, including Broder, were targeted after attending a wedding at the club while waiting for an Uber ride at the corner of West Brookhaven Drive and Capital City Lane.
While they were waiting, a vehicle approached them and stopped a short distance away. A suspect walked up to them, took out a handgun and demanded their belongings, police said. The four gave the suspect their belongings, including wallets and cell phones and $100 in cash. When the suspect was walking to return to his car, Broder, attempted to follow the suspect, according to police. He was shot once in the stomach.
Atlanta Police later arrested Jayden Myrick, 18, and Torrus Fleetwood, 19, and charged them with murder in the shooting of Broder. They were indicted by a Fulton County grand jury on the murder charges. Also indicted on murder charges in the shooting were Kevan Reeves, 15, and Motavious Lovejoy, also 15.
The shooting raised concerns about private probation options for Fulton County juvenile offenders. Myrick was previously convicted of armed robbery at age 14 and could have still been in state prison under a plea deal, according to media reports. However, Fulton Superior Court Judge Doris Downs chose to have him serve over two years in juvenile detention, followed by probation supervised by a private organization called Visions Unlimited, on the hope that he would be rehabilitated. Myrick reportedly was returned to detention for misbehavior, but then was to go back to Visions Unlimited. He did not show up again prior to his arrest in the Capital City crime.
Myrick has not been convicted in Broder’s killing. However, Broder’s family and some Atlanta residents called for Downs to resign or be recalled, including via an online petition that garnered over 8,000 signatures, on the premise that releasing Myrick was wrong and led to Broder’s death.