Harris County sues bar where Deputy Kareem Atkins killed, 2 other deputies injured

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- Two years ago this week, an off-duty Harris County Precinct 4 deputy was killed and two others were injured when authorities say a man shot them in an ambush-style attack outside of a north Houston sports bar.

The county has now filed a lawsuit against the bar, some of its employees, and the management company - trying to hold them accountable for serving the then-underage suspect.

The lawsuit accuses the 45 Norte Bar and Lounge of illegally serving alcohol to suspect Eddie Miller, who was 19 years old at the time, and failing to provide adequate security - putting everyone who was there at risk.

In the early morning of Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021, three off-duty Pct. 4 deputies were shot while working a second job at the bar.

Deputy Kareem Atkins was killed. Deputy Darryl Garrett was seriously injured, and Deputy Juqaim Barthen was also shot.

READ MORE: 19-year-old arrested in connection to ambush shooting that killed Harris Co. Pct. 4 deputy constable

A suspect has been arrested in the Oct. 16 shooting that killed Precinct 4 constable deputy Kareem Atkins and injured two other deputies at a club.

The county is asking for money to cover worker's comp, medical care, income, and death benefits for the deputies and their families.

"They are simply trying to get their money back from money that they spent on their employees who missed work. They paid workers' compensation benefits, apparently. They paid death benefits apparently, and they want their money back from these third parties they think are responsible," legal analyst Steve Shellist told ABC13.

Shellist said that whether or not the county gets paid back will be partly determined if the bar and its owners have the money or were insured.

"I think people assume all the time that, 'Oh, it's a bar, it must be successful. It must have the ability to pay.' Texas and Harris County and Houston in particular don't always require these bars to have insurance, and so if there's no insurance to pay a large judgment, then it could be for nothing," he continued.

Eyewitness News spoke with Constable Mark Herman on Wednesday morning. While he did not want to comment on the lawsuit, he said he and several other deputies were at Deputy Atkins' gravesite on Monday, honoring him on the two-year mark since that day.

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SEE PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

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Deputy Darryl Garrett survived the ambush shooting that killed his best friend, Deputy Kareem Atkins.

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As the search continues for the man who fatally shot Deputy Kareem Atkins, loved ones remember him as a family man and his dream of being an officer.