Nine people accused of ties to Nashville's Krooks gang, including eight adults and one 16-year-old, are now barred from downtown Nashville's entertainment district under a temporary court injunction. Metro Nashville Police allege the group targeted intoxicated people, tourists and others along Broadway, with some encounters escalating into intimidation or assault.
The nine named in the filing are Demontaz D. Jones, 21; Jamontez Alondo Gordon, 22; Kesean Rondell Johnson, 20; Treshawn Jones, 18; Deniyah Gordon, 18; Ricky Dewayne Crawley Jr., 19; Brendan Howard, 24; Makeel Horton, 20; and a 16-year-old whose name has not been released, according to News Channel 5 Nashville. Five of the nine appeared in court this week and agreed to follow the temporary injunction, while hearings remain pending for the other four defendants, the station reports.
Metro Nashville Police say alleged Krooks gang members approached victims to gain access to their cell phones. Once they had access to a phone, members allegedly used mobile payment apps to transfer money out of victims' accounts, and the department says some encounters turned physical when victims noticed or objected.
How Police Built the Case After Arrests Alone Fell Short
Metro Nashville Police and the Davidson County District Attorney's Office turned to the civil injunction after individual arrests and prosecutions failed to fully stop the activity, per the station's report. Metro police's account identifies its Entertainment District Unit and Violent Crimes Division in connection with the case. The department's downtown policing structure is one that Hoodline has previously detailed.
Criminal Court Judge Steve Dozier issued the gang injunction at the end of August, per the station's account. Metro police say Demontaz D. Jones, Jamontez Alondo Gordon and Kesean Rondell Johnson were identified as convicted robbers before prosecutors sought the injunction, a detail the department cites as part of the pattern of recurring public nuisance behavior tied to the group.
What the Downtown Safety Zone Covers
The temporary injunction bars the defendants from a downtown safety zone bounded by Union Street to the north, Korean Veterans Boulevard to the south, the Cumberland River to the east, and Rosa L. Parks Boulevard to the west, according to Metro police. The zone covers the downtown entertainment district, according to the department's description of the affected area.
Beyond simply keeping the defendants out of the district, the order includes restrictions related to alleged phone-based money transfer scams, Metro police say. The temporary injunction also prohibits participating in or helping carry out phone-based money transfer scams, according to the station.
A Rarely Used Legal Tool in Middle Tennessee
Civil gang injunctions like this one are addressed under Tennessee law, according to Justia Law. The legal framework includes additional provisions governing such injunctions.
Tennessee's first-ever civil gang injunction dates back to June 2012, when Metro Nashville Police and prosecutors filed against 24 alleged members of the Kurdish Pride Gang to keep them out of South Nashville public parks, a case also presided over by Judge Dozier, according to the Middle East Forum. Dozier has separately used Tennessee's public nuisance laws to padlock chronic problem venues, including closure orders for Nashville's 404 Bar and Grill in August 2025 and Club Kilimanjaro back in February 2017.
The Krooks case arrives amid a string of downtown safety incidents this month, including a man booked as a John Doe after allegedly exposing himself to a toddler near a Nashville school.
