Jan 10, 2026 By Mike Jones 5 min read

The War Dogs motorcycle club member who initiated the brutal assault on a Pagans member at Forty Bar & Grille in North Franklin last summer was shot and killed less than two months later in Allegheny County, allegedly by three of the rival club’s members possibly seeking revenge.

More than two dozen War Dog club members arrived at Forty Bar shortly after midnight Aug. 17 and ordered a round of bottled beer, although their behavior made the bar staff uneasy, according to testimony presented Friday in a preliminary hearing in connection with the assault.

A few moments later, Pagans member Jordan Henderson entered the establishment using derogatory language, prompting one of the War Dogs leaders to make a “hand signal” while seated at the bar, according to testimony. Fellow War Dogs member Kenneth Hayman got up from his seat and attacked the rival, starting a melee that left Henderson and another Pagans member with serious injuries and later led to gunshots being fired outside the bar as the motorcycle club fled.

Less than two months later, Hayman, 33, was shot dead on his motorcycle in White Oak on Oct. 12, allegedly by three Pagans who have since been charged with homicide in Allegheny County.

In early December, state police arrested nine War Dogs members and one Pagan allegedly involved in the Forty Bar fight. All of them appeared together Friday for the marathon hearing before District Judge Michael Manfredi in Washington County Central Court.

Few details of the Aug. 17 incident at Forty Bar were known until the hearing, when the criminal complaint was unsealed, and more information emerged as testimony lasted for nearly six hours. But by the end, Manfredi dismissed some of the most serious charges against the eight men who requested a hearing, including all felony counts related to running a corrupt organization. But Manfredi did order the men to stand trial on rioting charges, and aggravated assault for those closely involved with the fighting.

Courthouse security was heightened as nearly 20 Washington County sheriff’s deputies were positioned in all corners of the courtroom during the hearing. Even the layout of the courtroom had to be altered with five collapsible tables brought in to seat the eight defendants and their attorneys.

Bartender Julia Quarture testified that the night of the fight, the live music band had just wrapped up for the night and was leaving when 20 to 30 men she believed were War Dogs arrived on their motorcycles or in pickup trucks.

“The vibes were off,” she said. “I didn’t like their attitudes.”

Another bartender called the owner, Cheyenne Dennison, who said to serve the men a round of beers and she would be coming in to close the establishment early. But Henderson soon arrived and used a slur as he walked in the door and appeared to confront Hayman, who threw a punch as the melee ensued. Beer bottles were broken and the front door was eventually smashed, she said.

“Literally, the whole group is hitting one man,” Quarture said. “They beat him so (badly) he was unrecognizable.”

As the War Dogs were preparing to leave, Corey Wayne Palmer, who is apparently a part of the Pagans, arrived and exited his vehicle with an axe handle. He was eventually attacked and went back to his SUV to retrieve a handgun and allegedly fired it into the air and at passing motorcyclists, according to court documents. Palmer, 55, of Washington, waived all his charges to trial, which include aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, simple assault and harassment.

Eric Steven Hadrych, 44, of Avella, who was part of the War Dogs group, also waived his case to court, which included charges of conspiracy to commit corrupt organizations and rioting.

Corrupt organization charges were dismissed against Paul Randall Prevost, 30, of Washington; Daniel Louis Ullrick, 75, of Pittsburgh; Benjamin Brian Bowman, 32, of Bulger; and Zachary Ryan Williams, 43, of Morgantown, W.Va., while each will stand trial on felony rioting charges.

Most charges were also dismissed against the other four men, who were shackled and wearing orange prison jump suits for the hearing.

Robert Scott Conner, 53, of Uniontown, who was accused of holding a gun outside the bar, will stand trial on charges of rioting, reckless endangerment and simple assault. Khristopher A. Gardner, 43, of McDonald, will stand trial on rioting, aggravated assault, conspiracy and simple assault charges. Jerry Lee Barnett, 31, of Canonsburg, will stand trial on rioting, aggravated assault and harassment charges. Clark Oscar Young, 40, of Washington, will stand trial on rioting, aggravated assault and harassment charges.

The defense attorneys for the suspects said the situation was merely a bar fight and nothing more while First Assistant District Attorney Leslie Mylan said there was “ongoing violence” between the two groups.

“This was not an ordinary bar fight,” Mylan said. “This is how the War Dogs conduct their businesses.”

After the August bar fight, state police investigated and filed charges against 10 men on Dec. 2. But before that, Hayman was killed while riding his motorcycle in White Oak.

Victor Cruz, 27, Albert Renchko, 36, and Jacob Baker, 33, are charged in Allegheny County with Hayman’s killing. It’s not known if that shooting was a direct result of the incident at Forty Bar, although the two motorcycle clubs have a lengthy and violent history. All three men charged in Hayman’s killing are scheduled for a jury trial in May.