Bouncer pleads guilty to killing off-duty Arizona fireman

PHOENIX — A bouncer pleaded guilty Monday to killing an off-duty Arizona fireman during an altercation at a Valley strip club.

A spokesman for the Superior Court of Arizona said Brandon Draper pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of Luke Jones, who died following last year’s incident at Centerfolds Cabaret.

Draper, who originally pleaded not guilty, was scheduled to be sentenced May 4.

Police said Jones was at the club near 19th and Peoria avenues on Jan. 21, 2017 when he and Draper were involved in some sort of altercation. At the end of it, Jones was hospitalized with injuries typically seen in assaults.

The 37-year-old Daisy Mountain firefighter died the following day.

“He was my everything and we had just celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary,” Heather Jones said of her husband, a 12-year veteran of the department and father of one.

After her husband’s death, Heather Jones called for a new law that would require special training for bouncers.

Luke’s Law would require club security personnel to be trained in proper restraint protocol, citizen’s arrest law, de-escalation techniques, responsible alcohol service and verbal communication.

It also sought to ask businesses to establish policies on when physical force should be used and the creation of a system to track and record altercations.

A Yelp page about the club said the business was permanently closed. It lost its liquor license last year.

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