Reward doubles in deadly shooting in parking lot of Manuel's Tavern
Dean Phillips was shot and killed in a "brazen criminal act" at Manuel's Tavern in northeast Atlanta on Oct. 27, 2022. (Crime Stoppers Atlanta)
ATLANTA - The reward to find the gunman in a deadly shooting in a "brazen criminal act" at Manuel's Tavern in northeast Atlanta on Oct. 27, 2022, has doubled.
Investigators say Dean Phillips, a patron of the iconic bar, was shot to death while trying to stop the gunman from breaking into cars.
Owner Brian Maloof spoke to FOX 5’s Rob DiRienzo the day after the deadly shooting. He said Phillips just closed his tab and headed out the door, when he encountered the would-be robber in the parking area behind the bar, which also has tents and tables for customers to sit at.
He said about 15 people watched the encounter with the thief, all of whom had already called 911.
Then, the guy pulled out a gun and shot Phillips point-blank in the torso.
He said a staff member who had military training began treating the man, but it was already too late.
Atlanta Police canvass the parking lot of Manuels Tavern after a deadly shooting on Oct. 27, 2022. (FOX 5)
Witnesses said the shooter jumped into a getaway car waiting nearby and sped off.
The bar has been around for 66 years and has become a popular spot for politicians, including former presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama.
Maloof said this is the first time anything like this has happened since its opening in 1956.
None of the bar’s security cameras captured the incident because they are focused on the doors to the establishment.
A $10,000 reward is now being offered for tips leading to the arrest and indictment of the shooting suspect. Tipsters can remain anonymous and still be eligible for the reward by calling the Crime Stoppers Atlanta tip line at 404-577-TIPS (8477).