Man arrested, accused in baseball bat beating at Denver strip club that killed 1

DENVER — Police arrested a man Sunday afternoon after he allegedly attacked four people with a baseball bat at a Denver strip club, leaving one of the people dead and another with critical injuries.

Ryan Ashland, 41, is being held for investigation on first-degree murder and second-degree assault charges stemming from the alleged attack, which happened just before 1 p.m. at P.T.’s Show Club.

Officers were called to the club on W. Evans Ave. on a report of an assault. When they arrived, they found Ashland standing in the parking lot of the club with a baseball bat in hand. One of the victims was lying on the ground nearby, according to an affidavit for Ashland’s arrest.

Officers told him to drop the bat but he refused, according to the affidavit, after which they used a Taser to take him into custody.

One of the victims told police that when she got to the club that afternoon, she heard another woman screaming and grunting, and looked over to find a man bashing her with the bat. The woman tried to intervene but was also hit multiple times with the bat, the affidavit says.

She pretended to be unconscious for a time before she tried to flee outside, though Ashland allegedly chased her. But he also allegedly hit another man in the club, and once outside, started beating a man walking down the street with the bat.

The affidavit, which is partially redacted, does not make clear what led to Ashland’s alleged violent outburst.

It says the victims are aged 56, 45, 24 and 45. Denver police said one of the adult male victims died at the hospital a few hours after the attack. One of the women who was attacked was in critical condition and the other man and woman attacked have since been released from the hospital, according to police.

Ashland’s first court appearance is set for Tuesday afternoon. He is currently being held without bond, according to jail records.