Battle Creek police identify Cricket Club guard who shot Xavier West, but questions remain
BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — Battle Creek police held an update Wednesday on a Thanksgiving morning shooting that took a life.
Just after midnight on Thanksgiving, a fight broke out between customers and security staff at the Cricket Club bar in Battle Creek, according to police. During the fight, a security guard shot and killed 29-year-old Xavier West, they said.
The Battle Creek Police Department held a press conference at 2 p.m. Wednesday about the shooting:
Battle Creek Police Chief Jim Blocker, during Wednesday's news conference, identified the guard as Adam Yancer.
Blocker said Yancer had been legally armed. He was working in a security role as an employee of the bar.
Xavier West was unarmed at the time of the shooting, as were the witnesses police spoke to, Blocker said.
He presented two videos of the shooting, taken from different angles. He stressed the importance of finding more videos, audio recordings, and first-person witnesses from the night.
Blocker encouraged anyone who was at the Cricket Club at the time of the shooting to call the Battle Creek Police Department at 269-966-3322, or Silent Observer at 269-781-0911.
“Sometimes a different angle or a different soundbite can make all the difference in the world," Blocker said.
He said Investigators were looking at several factors, including what portion of responsibility rested on the establishment.
“We need to make every effort to ensure that justice is served appropriately," he said. "We owe that not just to the family, but to the victim.”
On Tuesday, News Channel 3's Emirrora Austin spoke with a friend of West and witness to the shooting, who said he was holding West back from the fight when the gun went off.
"The security, for some reason, got up and shot two times," Victor, a witness who asked to not use his last name, said. "I don’t think he knows who he shot, why, he just shot and it hit Zay twice. I had Zay in my arms and he fell back and it made me fall back."
A patron inside the bar recorded the shooting on a cell phone. In the video, a group of men can be seen fighting each other.
About seven seconds into the video, two shots can be heard. Victor can be seen wearing a white long-sleeve shirt.
Family and friends gathered Monday at a vigil behind the Cricket Club to honor West.
Victor described West as loving, loyal and a protector of his family.
Blocker also met with the prosecutor Monday.
Police have not announced whether there will be any criminal charges against the security guard.
"Dude need to get arrested. He took a life, he took my friend's life," Victor said.
Connect with Emirrora Austin on Facebook and Twitter. Send story ideas eaustin@sbgtv.com.
Editor's Note: This story has been updated with the latest information from the Battle Creek Police Department.
