Fifth Wings Cafe shootout plea leaves four men to stand trial in August

A fifth man charged in the 2014 fatal shootout at Macon’s Wings Cafe pleaded guilty Wednesday, leaving four men remaining to stand trial next month.

Master John Henry Brown, 25, pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of simple assault and one count of violating the state’s Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act.

Arrested July 20, 2015, he’s set to be released July 20, 2017, and must serve 15 years on probation, pay a $500 fine and $500 in attorney’s fees.

Prosecutors have alleged that members of the Blacc Team street gang, a division of the larger Gangster Disciples, traveled to the Bloomfield Drive nightclub Dec. 12, 2014, and gathered together before going into the known Crips gang hangout. Surveillance footage shows the men as they went inside.

One alleged member of the group, Emmanuel McGhee, 29, flicked a cigarette in a man’s face, sparking a fight.

Shots were fired, and people threw punches, bottles and chairs.

Corey Hollingshed, 25, George Henley, 34, and Derrick Jackson, 38, were fatally shot. A woman was shot four times, but she survived.

Speaking to Brown before announcing his sentence, Bibb County Superior Court Judge Howard Simms told him, “There has to be a better way than all this foolishness. ... We’re burying way too many people in town because of this kind of idiocy.”

Brown responded, “Yes sir, I understand.”

Markques Patterson, 31, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and violating the state’s Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act on Monday. He was sentenced to 30 years.

McGhee was sentenced to 20 years, eight of them in prison, after taking a best interest plea July 8, pleading guilty to aggravated assault and violating the state’s gang act.

Shavious Antwan Balkcom, 27, pleaded guilty June 30 to violating the gang act and two misdemeanor simple assault charges and was sentenced to remain in jail until July 14, 2017, and serve 15 years on probation with special gang conditions.

In April, Brinton Clinton Williams, 31, of Warner Robins pleaded guilty to violating the state’s gang act and two counts of being party to the crime of simple assault. He is set to be released from custody after he testifies at the Aug. 15 trial for the remaining men charged in the case. He also must serve 15 years on probation.

Of the men who have pleaded guilty, McGhee is the only one whose agreement doesn’t include his testifying.

Federal charges also are pending against two of the men set to go to trial next month, 40-year-old Vertuice Wall of Marietta and 30-year-old Derek Taylor of Macon.

This story was originally published July 20, 2016 at 10:36 AM with the headline "Fifth Wings Cafe shootout plea leaves four men to stand trial in August."