Unlicensed Security Guard Accused Of Murder Had Extensive Criminal Record Involving Guns

TUSCALOOSA, AL — A former contract security guard accused of murder in a fatal shooting at a Tuscaloosa hookah bar last month had an extensive history of criminal offenses involving drugs and firearms, an independent examination of court records shows.

Click here to subscribe to our free daily newsletter and breaking news alerts.

As Patch previously reported, Aaron Dewayne Hill is charged with a single count of murder in the Jan. 21 shooting death of 28-year-old Rashid Little, who was allegedly shot by Hill outside of CRU Lounge following a physical altercation inside the establishment.

As an attorney for CRU Lounge stated this week, Little was shot by Hill after he allegedly attempted to spit on the security guard.

On Tuesday, the Tuscaloosa City Council voted 4-0 to revoke the business license for CRU Lounge, which follows several issues being raised by local police during the bar's brief and turbulent history.

Tuscaloosa Police Chief Brent Blankley pointed out problems in recent months with overcrowding, along with mentioning the lack of cooperation from employees and owners at CRU Lounge following the shooting.

Even before the shooting, Blankley said he was left with no choice but to visit the business on two different occasions due to capacity issues, with the business receiving a second warning on New Year's Eve that owners were told would be its last.

Blankley also said he attempted to speak with Kevin Davis, one of the owners of CRU Lounge but also said he was uncooperative and told the police chief he did not know Hill.

"He seemed more interested in playing on his phone than talking to me or answering my questions," he said.

HILL'S RECORD

Perhaps the most profound revelation Tuesday night came when it was confirmed that not only was Hill not licensed as a security guard by the Alabama Security Regulatory Board, but was also a convicted felon barred from owning or handling a firearm at the time of the shooting.

Tuscaloosa Police previously confirmed to Patch that none of the security guards involved in the physical altercation immediately prior to the fatal shooting were law enforcement and none of the other security guards working that night have been charged.

The Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit also charged Vance resident Thyais Walker, 47, with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Walker's deposition says she was charged after video evidence recovered by investigators allegedly shows her possessing the pistol that was used to kill Little.

Hill's criminal record is lengthy, mostly consisting of drug and firearm offenses in nearby Bibb County. His pending charges include a count of distributing a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, possession of paraphernalia and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm at the time of his arrest on Aug. 16, 2023.

A judge revoked his bond in this case after Hill was charged with murder.

Despite having a felony conviction dating back to 2008, Hill was also arrested in Bibb County in September 2022 for possession of cocaine, misdemeanor possession of paraphernalia and carrying a concealed pistol without a license.

It's worth noting that this was before Alabama dropped its pistol permit requirement for concealed carry on Jan. 1, 2023, following an act of the Alabama Legislature.

Hill entered a guilty plea to the paraphernalia charge and saw a one-year jail sentence suspended in favor of two years probation. The other two counts were dismissed, including the gun charge.

According to court documents obtained by Patch, the handgun was ultimately returned to its rightful owner by police.

Still, the sentencing order in this specific case was signed by Bibb County District Judge Craig Cargile on Dec. 7, 2023 — a little more than a month before the murder of Rashid Little.

Looking even further back in his record, Hill was also indicted by a Jefferson County grand jury in 2015 for second-degree theft of a firearm dating back to Hill in 2013 allegedly stealing a Jennings .22 semi-automatic pistol from a woman.

Jefferson County court records indicate that Hill pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of third-degree theft, agreeing to serve two years of unsupervised probation and pay $350 in restitution.

Hill's felony record, however, can trace its origins back to a 2008 guilty plea for second-degree theft of property after he admitted to stealing two handguns from a man in West Blocton.

According to a witness statement given to the West Blocton Police Department, a man said Hill showed him the two stolen pistols after he had confronted Hill about a handgun he had allegedly stolen from the witness just 20 minutes prior.

Hill entered guilty pleas to both charges and was given a mostly suspended 10-year sentence that saw him receive time served toward a 13-month stay in jail followed by three years supervised probation.

HILL'S EMPLOYMENT AT CRU LOUNGE

Owners of CRU Lounge — a hookah bar and restaurant off of Alabama Highway 69 South — insisted during Tuesday night's City Council meeting that the evening of the shooting was Hill's first night working for an unregistered security firm referred to as "Grizzly Security" by Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit investigators.

As Patch previously reported, a physical altercation broke out inside the bar, with video evidence showing three contract security guards, including Hill, grappling with a man identified as Little.

The security guards can be easily identified by their black tactical bullet-proof vests, with all three dressed and armed very much like police officers.

During the tussle, though, Little's arms were at least halfway under the security guard's armpits in a kind of grapple as they went to the ground with two other visibly armed security guards at Little's back.

As the two men fell, the security guard tangled with Little had his right hand on his pistol holster.

Once Little was on the ground with the security guard, the two other armed security guards began dropping punches at Little as some patrons attempted in vain to break up the fight. At one point, one of the security guards, who was dressed in clothes and equipment that could be easily mistaken for a police officer, began to stomp Little.

While the videos seen by Patch did not show the moment gunfire erupted, Little was shot in the minutes that followed. He died at DCH Regional Medical Center a short time later.

Much has been said on background from reluctant eye-witnesses speaking to Tuscaloosa Patch and on social media regarding unverified details of the cause of the altercation, including a petition circulating that demands the killing be viewed as a hate crime because Little was a gay man.

Indeed, it remains unclear if the fatal incident spurred from something that happened in the moment and escalated — or if the altercation was the result of an underlying or ongoing issue between the two men or the victim and the security guards.

As of the publication of this update, the online petition — titled Tuscaloosa CRU Hate Crime — had garnered 1,595 signatures toward its goal of 2,500.

CRU Lounge released a statement following the shooting that directly blamed Hill for the incident, saying: "this should have not happened."

The hookah bar — owned by an Atlanta-based parent company that operates similar establishments — released a short statement on Instagram Wednesday following news that the city had revoked its business license and took the opportunity to thank the Tuscaloosa community for its "love and support."

Have a news tip or suggestion on how I can improve Tuscaloosa Patch? Maybe you're interested in having your business become one of the latest sponsors for Tuscaloosa Patch? Email all inquiries to me at ryan.phillips@patch.com