GoFundMe for Hubbard Inn Security Guard Bryan Watson
Bryan Watson, 35, died after being pushed down stairs at Hubbard Inn in Chicago's River North. His family launched a GoFundMe for funeral expenses.
A security guard died early Monday after being pushed down a flight of stairs while trying to break up a fight at Hubbard Inn, a popular River North bar and restaurant, and his family is now asking for help covering his funeral costs.
Bryan Christopher Watson, 35, was working the door at 110 W. Hubbard St. when he stepped in to intervene in a fight between a man and a group of people around 1:20 a.m., according to Chicago police. Someone pushed Watson down the stairs. He lost consciousness, then got up, walked into another room, grabbed his chest and collapsed, police said, citing the initial police report.
Watson was transported to Northwestern Hospital, where he died.
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office has not yet ruled on an official cause of death. Chicago police cited “traumatic arrest” as the cause, according to earlier reports. The Medical Examiner’s investigation is ongoing.
A 32-year-old man who pushed Watson was taken into custody but released without charges, police confirmed Thursday. Detectives are continuing to investigate.
Watson’s family launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover funeral expenses. His brother Jeremy Watson set up the page and described Bryan as a “hardworking, loving, caring big brother” who “passed away working hard as he always did.”
“Thank you all for prayers to our family and all donations are appreciated. Love you big bro always,” Jeremy Watson wrote on the page.
By Thursday afternoon, the campaign had raised roughly $13,000 toward its $16,000 goal.
The case highlights the very real dangers facing security workers at Chicago bars and nightclubs, where altercations in the early morning hours can turn deadly with little warning. Watson was doing exactly what his job required when the night went wrong.
River North is one of the city’s most heavily trafficked entertainment corridors, drawing large crowds to its bars and restaurants on weekend nights. Incidents involving security personnel at establishments along Hubbard Street and nearby blocks are not unheard of, though a fatality of this nature is rare.
The release of the man who pushed Watson without charges has drawn attention to the complexity of prosecuting cases where physical altercations result in death but the immediate cause and intent are still being examined. Cook County prosecutors and Chicago police investigators would need to establish the specific circumstances of the confrontation before any charging decision could be made.
Watson showed up to work that night doing what security guards do. He saw a situation getting out of hand and moved to stop it. What happened next cost him his life.
For his family, the immediate concern is burying their brother. Funeral costs can easily run into the thousands, and the GoFundMe reflects a harsh reality many working-class families face when tragedy strikes without warning. Watson was 35 years old.
Anyone wishing to contribute to the Watson family’s funeral fund can search for the GoFundMe campaign by name. The investigation into Watson’s death continues, and further updates are expected as the Medical Examiner’s Office completes its review and detectives advance their inquiry.