Committee debates Club 110’s liquor license

By Danica Baker
Herald Staff Writer

May 07, 2008 10:58 am

— CLINTON — The city of Clinton Rules and Regulations Committee is debating options the city has in considering the renewal of Club 110’s liquor license or sanctions against the bar following an incident at the establishment.
Clinton Police Chief Brian Guy provided the committee with a report of police calls to various alcohol-serving establishments in Clinton and explained that Club 110 has had 14 incidents within three months. Guy said that the incident at Club 110 on April 20, in which fighting broke out and multiple officers from Clinton, Camanche, Fulton, Ill., and county deputies were called to respond, was “a very serious matter for public safety.”
Clinton Police Sgt. Terry St. Ores said the incident at Club 110 occurred shortly after a shooting in the Quad-Cities that was attributed to Chicago residents who said later they wanted retaliation for other shootings. St. Ores said the original call to the bar at 12:34 a.m. was that of “shots fired,” leading officers to wonder if the incident was somehow related, though it was determined later the caller mistook the sound of a dropped microphone for a gunshot as no weapons were found at the scene.
He said six Clinton officers were on duty that night and assistance from mutual aid communities was called in because officers found 40 to 50 people fighting at the bar, a scene he called “very volatile.” St. Ores said individuals leaving the bar were interviewed and told officers that a rap group was playing when the song was cut short and a fight erupted. He said three people were hit in the head with beer bottles, causing lacerations, but would not file criminal complaints because they only wanted to return to Davenport. St. Ores said the thing that most concerned him about the incident is that officers did not get guidance from the owners and were not approached by security about what was occurring.
Gary Sawyer and Gordon Carroll, owners of Club 110, attended the meeting. Carroll said that unfortunately, both he and Sawyer were knocked unconscious for a time during the event. He said that while he understands the strong police reaction to the initial call, no weapons were found, calling the initial call in an overreaction of what was occurring.
While watching a video of the incident that had been posted on YouTube, St. Ores pointed out two of three Davenport residents who were arrested during the incident and acknowledged that no one from Clinton was taken into custody that night. Committee member and At-Large Councilman Ron Mallicoat asked if there may have been racial motivation involved in the incident. St. Ores said a bar is bound to have problems when mixing large groups of people and alcohol. Mallicoat questioned how many people were in the bar at the time of the incident and the owners estimated 150 people were at the bar that night.
Carroll noted that police officers performed a 10- to 15-minute “walk-through” of the bar approximately 10 minutes before the event happened. He commented the officers wouldn’t have left if they believed any situation existed, but said the incident sprang out from a sudden, irrational event that led to a mob mentality. He said that as a bar owner, he has been advised to let police do their job and not interfere, and that was why no one from the bar staff or management interacted with police.
Carroll said he felt that to let the officers do their job was more important and thought officials would consult with them inside the bar, where the owners and staff were waiting to be questioned.
Guy said that input from bar management is needed to direct officers’ actions, and instead officers were left to figure out what happened without staff assistance. Guy added that his concern in such a situation is for law enforcement officials who have to respond to the scene, then patrons and bar staff, then the community. He said calling for mutual aid from other agencies drains their resources and leaves other communities vulnerable. Guy remarked there is political fallout from such an incident as well, whereas surrounding communities will only provide aid the first couple times an incident occurs before saying they can only do so much.
Guy read from the Iowa code stating that an establishment shall not allow disorderly conduct, and he was not saying Club 110’s owners did, but said the type of entertainment offered that night lends itself to fighting. He commented that Sawyer and Carroll also own The Odeon, which hasn’t had any police calls. Guy said he didn’t think the problem is the management style, but the type of activity happening there.
Mallicoat suggested the committee consider mandating the bar close at midnight, as most of the disturbance calls had come in after 12 a.m. Guy said it is not his place to tell bar owners when they must close. He advised that the city has administrative actions it can take against the club’s liquor license, which expires at midnight on May 29. He said the owners have indicated they will file for a license renewal.
“The police department vehemently resists renewal of their license,” Guy said.
Carroll said that although there were several calls within three months, Club 110 had not had police calls before then. He said the number of calls was becoming a concern of he and Sawyer, and the two have since decided to book other events, such as rock concerts, and get away from allowing rap music at the club. He noted that within the past two weeks, the bar has participated in a Lyons Pub Crawl and hosted a popular rock band, Cheese Pizza, which saw over 250 people in attendance throughout the night, and did not have a police call for either event.
A neighbor of the bar, Lillian Lattimer, who lives at 2423 N. Second St., said the bar is immediately behind her residence. She stated she has never been disturbed by the events at the establishment and pleaded with the committee to give the club another chance.
“They don’t bother me one bit. They’re nice boys. I hope they never leave there,” Lattimer said. “I hope you give them a second chance. Everyone deserves a second chance.”
Following the discussion, Guy recommended some type of punitive action be taken against the bar, saying the committee could recommend suspension or revocation of the liquor license. Committee member and At-Large Councilman Mark Vulich pointed out the incident was the first time the club experienced a major incident and the owners indicated they are making changes to make sure that such an incident never happens again.
Vulich suggested the committee postpone making a decision on any action against the club until the committee meeting on May 20, in order to give the committee members time to consider the options and the potential ramifications. The committee unanimously approved a motion to postpone the decision until the May 20 meeting, which will begin at 10 a.m.
Committee Chairman Bob Soesbe advised Carroll and Sawyer that the committee would make a recommendation to the full council and it would be up to the council to make a final recommendation regarding the renewal of the liquor license or any possible sanctions the bar could face. He added that the owners could appeal the council’s decision.