On Monday, February 10, a regular at Shooters Lounge in Hermitage turned an otherwise ordinary night into a scene of deliberate disruption. As mentioned by WSMV, 49-year-old Matthew Phelps, an employee of Nashville Electric Service (NES), was seen violating the bar's policy by drinking from his personal cup. When asked to leave, Phelps reacted not with compliance but with threats, reportedly threatening to "shoot the bartender," and subsequently ventured to cut the electricity supply to the establishment.
It's reported by WKRN that Phelps caused significant property damage, estimated to be around $3,500 to the bar's speakers, in addition to damaging the "internal hardware" of a Golden Tee arcade game. The bar's back fence also to suffered from his actions, incurring roughly $300 in expenses to repair. Phelps's antics were substantiated by video surveillance, confirming his identity and leading to his arrest two days later on charges of felony vandalism. He was released on a $25,000 bond.
NES relayed to NewsChannel5 that they are conducting an internal investigation into the incident involving Phelps. "What has been alleged goes against our values and does not represent the conduct we expect from employees," the company stated. Phelps, who was off-duty at the time, will face appropriate action pending the outcome of NES's investigation.
