Wounded Patron Sues Mt. Greenwood Bar Over Cop-Involved Shooting

A patron who was wounded in a shooting at a Mt. Greenwood bar has filed a lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court against the gunman’s estate and the pub, the Chicago Sun-Times reported, claiming the pub overserved the shooter.

Matthew Layhe is suing the estate of Thomas McGinty and the Blackthorn Irish Pub after he claims he was shot by fellow bar patron McGinty during a confrontation on Dec. 7, 2014.

According to the lawsuit, Layhe and his friends were watching a football game at Blackthorn, 3300 W. 111th St., when an intoxicated man began arguing with him. The man, identified as Thomas McGinty, 45, pulled out a gun and shot Layhe twice.

An off-duty Chicago Police sergeant saw the shooting drew his weapon and announced that he was a police officer. McGinty ignored a command to drop the gun and continued to point it at other patrons, Police News Affairs said at the time of the incident.

The off-duty cop fired multiple times striking McGinty, who died at the scene. Layhe was taken in critical condition to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.

Leahy claims that McGinty and Blackthorn Pub were negligent. He also blames Blackthorn for over serving McGinty, the Sun-Times said.

Read the full story in the Sun-Times