A security guard at the center of a gay man’s death in the Gayborhood was sentenced to prison time this week.
Common Pleas Court Judge Roxanne Covington on July 31 sentenced Kenneth Frye to two-and-a-half to five years in prison. Frye was working as a security guard for Tabu, now known as 254, in April 2022 when he punched patron Eric Pope after attempting to remove him from the club. Video shown during the trial depicted Pope dancing outside the club before the blow was delivered.
According to court filings, Pope fell and struck his head on a sewer pipe and died about a week later.
A jury convicted Frye of involuntary manslaughter in June but acquitted him of the more serious third-degree murder charge. The single conviction carried a maximum five-year sentence.
In addition to the prison sentence, Covington ordered Frye to take anger management, victim awareness and LGBTQ+ counseling classes. He is not permitted to work as a security guard or bouncer upon his release until the end of the sentence.
Asa Khalif, a member of the District Attorney’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Council who was among community members supporting Frye’s family throughout the court proceedings, expressed gratitude for the sentence.
“I’m pleased with the outcome of the case,” Khalif said. “Kenneth Frye tried to erase Eric Pope from this world but he didn’t succeed. Eric will continue to live on in the hearts of all those who love him and he was loved.”
Zak Goldstein, who represented Frye, told PGN his client was grateful for the chance to offer condolences and an apology during the hearing.
“The whole thing was a tragedy,” Goldstein said. “I’m glad Mr. Frye finally got a chance to express remorse to the family. Getting that opportunity was very important to him.”