Man found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, but not 3rd-degree murder in death of Old City pizza worker
Brian Adams, 34, died after he was punched several times by Demier Klevitch-Gay during an altercation outside Big Ass Slices Bar & Grill last year.
A 30-year-old man accused of punching an Old City pizza worker, who later died, during an altercation over eating at an outdoor table was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and not a more serious charge of murder by a Philadelphia jury on Thursday.
Demier Klevitch-Gay, of Albany, N.Y., was acquitted of third-degree murder in the April 27, 2024, incident in front of Big Ass Slices Bar & Grill on the 200 block of Market Street.
Klevitch-Gay also was found guilty of simple assault, but not guilty of making terroristic threats and possessing an instrument of crime.
He has been in jail since the attack.
Klevitch-Gay and another man were eating in the outdoor seating area of the pizza shop when the owner, Jeff Bergman, asked them to leave because they were eating food from another establishment. Words were exchanged and the situation escalated.
Brian Adams, 34, a worker at Big Ass Slices, was punched several times in the face by Klevitch-Gay and collapsed. Adams died after spending 10 days in a coma.
Adams’ family has filed a lawsuit against Bergman accusing the restaurant owner of inflaming the situation and putting Adams in harm’s way. Klevitch-Gay also is named as a defendant in the lawsuit. Big Ass Slices shut down earlier this year.
Alison J. Russell, a Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky attorney who represents Adams’ family members, said in a statement:
“We respect the jury’s verdict, but for Brian’s family, this outcome is a painful reminder of the preventable tragedy that stole Brian’s life. We will continue to seek accountability from all of the responsible parties, including and in particular Jeffrey Bergman. Businesses should never put profit and ego above safety.”
The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office declined to comment on the case until after the sentencing, a spokesperson said.
Klevitch-Gay’s lawyer, Lonny Fish of Liberty Law Team, said the jury “swiftly returned the correct verdict of not guilty on the murder charge. Mr. Klevitch-Gay did not act with malice, and the jury agreed. In addition, the jury found him not guilty of the threats the store owner claimed he was making.”
Fish said Klevitch-Gay faces a maximum sentence of 3½ to 7 years in prison.
At a hearing in January, Victoria Sorokin, the assistant medical examiner who performed Adams’ autopsy, testified that Adams died of a ruptured brain aneurysm.
“Most likely when he was involved in the volatile situation he started to get nervous and his blood pressure was going up,” Sorokin testified, “and when he received a punch in the face, I think that exacerbates his blood pressure even more.”
Bergman, the restaurant’s owner, could not be reached for comment.
Editor’s note: A comment from the attorney for Brian Adams’ family was added since the article originally posted.