Overcrowded Hickory Hill nightclub raided; owner, security guards among 7 arrested

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Seven people were arrested, and multiple firearms and drugs were seized Saturday night during a multi-agency crackdown at an overcrowded Hickory Hill nightclub.

The Memphis Police Department’s Organized Crime Unit and the Memphis Safe Task Force raided the lounge near Knight Arnold and Ridgeway roads following an investigation. According to police, the business had previously been served a nuisance warning letter after racking up 191 calls for service and 47 formal reports, which included vehicle thefts, break-ins, and aggravated assaults involving firearms.

During Saturday’s operation, investigators uncovered severe safety and regulatory violations. The Fire Marshal’s Office determined that more than 300 people were packed inside the venue, which is more than triple its approved maximum occupancy limit of 99. Agents with the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission also found the lounge was serving alcohol without a state license, leading to the seizure of several cases of liquor.

Inside the manager’s office, police arrested nightclub co-owner Nickolas Armstrong-Green, 26, on charges of felony narcotics and the unlawful sale of alcoholic beverages. Investigators reported recovering marijuana, cash, firearms, and digital scales from the office.

As the raid unfolded, 33-year-old Jerrod Cox was apprehended after attempting to flee the scene. Detectives caught Cox and recovered approximately 1.5 pounds of marijuana, other narcotics, and drug paraphernalia, while also seizing a vehicle believed to have been used to transport the illegal drugs.

Two security guards, 28-year-old Darius Clark Franklin and 24-year-old Imad Deumah, were also taken into custody after investigators discovered they were working armed details without the required state licensing or certifications.

Three others were arrested at the scene on various charges. Wiley Harper, 30, was charged after refusing to leave the business and attempting to incite a crowd to be disorderly. Jarvis Moye Jr., 22, was arrested on an active warrant for theft of property, and 21-year-old waitress Kyra Bush was arrested on active warrants for failure to appear in a Bartlett case.

Police say the investigation is active and ongoing, and all findings are preliminary.

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