Armed Altercation at Gerri’s Sports Pub: Margate Man Arrested After Dropping Firearm

by Ryan Yousefi July 28, 2023

Armed Altercation at Gerri's Sports Pub: Margate Man Arrested After Dropping Firearm

Julius Thomas Rhodes {BSO}

By Ryan Yousefi

A man faces 13 counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon after dropping a gun during a fight at a sports bar.

On July 21, the Margate Police Department responded to Gerri’s Sports Pub at 6500 West Atlantic Boulevard in response to a violent customer with a firearm.

According to witnesses and video footage captured on the scene, the man, later identified as Julius Thomas Rhodes, 40, of Margate, was in a physical altercation with another bar patron, resulting in bar staff removing him from the premises.

Records show that not long after being asked to leave, Rhodes returned to the bar and initiated further altercations with multiple individuals.

One witness told officers they attempted to intervene by wrapping his arms around Rhodes and that a firearm fell out of his pocket during the struggle.

Bar staff reportedly quickly noticed the firearm, recovered it, and safely secured it behind the counter.

Despite being removed from the bar twice already, the arrest record shows Rhodes refused to back down and returned a third time, angrily demanding the return of his firearm.

Witnesses stated that Rhodes was heard yelling threatening statements like “Where’s my piece” and “Give me my shit,” even going so far as to threaten to murder one of the patrons.

According to the report, staff and witnesses continued subduing Rhodes while waiting for law enforcement to arrive.

The situation would finally de-escalate once law enforcement entered the bar and detained Rhodes without further incident.

Upon investigation, it was revealed that he had a history of criminal convictions prohibiting him from possessing a firearm and ammunition.

Rhodes was arrested and transported to the Broward County Main Jail.

He now faces separate charges for each piece of ammunition discovered in the magazine of the firearm he dropped during the altercation.

Rhodes was later released after posting a $2,500 bond.

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Ryan Yousefi

Ryan Yousefi has lived in Coral Springs for over 30 years. He has worked as a writer for multiples outlets over the years, including the Miami New Times where he has covered sports and culture since 2013. He holds a Bachelor's Degree and a Master's Degree in Business Healthcare Management from Western Governors University.