Bouncer Wanted in Murder of New Bedford Native Eric Pope Surrenders to Police

Kenneth Frye, the Philadelphia bouncer who is alleged to have punched former New Bedford School Committee member Eric Pope and is being charged with murder following Pope’s death, has turned himself in to police.

Multiple outlets in Philadelphia are reporting that Frye, 24, surrendered himself to police at 2:20 p.m. Thursday, a day after police had issued a warrant for his arrest on third-degree murder charges.

If convicted, Frye could face up to 40 years in prison.

Get our free mobile app

According to Philadelphia Police, Pope, who lived in Washington, D.C., was visiting friends in Philadelphia and became intoxicated and was escorted out of Tabu Lounge & Sports Bar in the city’s Gayborhood area just before 1 a.m. on April 16. Pope, 41, was then allegedly punched by Frye and as he collapsed, his head hit the ground. Emergency responders found Pope in an unresponsive state when they arrived. He was taken to Jefferson Hospital in critical condition, and he died from his injuries on April 23.

Tabu has stated that Frye was not an employee of the bar but rather of a private security firm contracted by the bar, which the Philadelphia Inquirer reported is Mainline Private Security. The Inquirer reported that “court filings show that Mainline has been sued a dozen times since 2020, frequently over bouncers’ alleged use of force or failure to summon medics in response to injuries.”

Jane Roh, spokesperson for Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, told WBSM on Wednesday that the D.A.’s Office was “aware of reports of troubling interactions involving private security workers at Gayborhood establishments.”