Security Guards Failed to Call Police-Chattanooga Bars Receive Penalties
Chattanooga TN April 5 2021 Two Chattanooga bars were given penalties on Thursday for the failure to report a fight or disorder to the police.
Those bars have the option of either a seven-day suspension of their beer license or paying a $1,000 fine.
Both blamed their security guards who had been working at the time of the incidents for the failure to immediately call the Chattanooga Police.
The Chattanooga Billiards Club, 750 Cherry St., has an extensive security plan in place, with a doorman, the owner keeping track of the number of customers allowed in, a metal scanner at the door, two licensed security guards on site, and 24 security cameras throughout the business all of which can be viewed on a single monitor by the owner.
The co-owner, Janice Windham, was present the night of Jan. 26 but was on the first level when the incident occurred upstairs and she did not witness what happened. She said she relies on the security guards who primarily stay upstairs where most customers go.
That night a customer failed to follow directions from one of the guards about putting on a mask which led to a verbal argument that escalated and she was then asked to leave. When the customer refused to do so, she was physically removed by the guard, being pushed to the ground and dragged out. Ms. Windham said she became aware of the fight about 15 minutes after it happened. “I’m perplexed why you or the bartender didn’t call the police,” said board member Christopher Keene. Ms. Windham said that she had assumed that the security guards had called since they have made the calls for previous altercations.
It was two weeks later when the police were called and the assault was reported. The victim claimed that the delay was because she had “immediate shock.” At the time she called the police, she also contacted media and video of the confrontation went viral on YouTube.
“If they had called the police, there would be no violation today,” said Chattanooga Police Officer John Collins, who is the beer inspector. To be consistent with penalties for the like violations, the Billiards Club was given the choice of losing the ability to sell beer for seven days or paying a $1,000 fine. An appeals process is available.
The Night Owl, 830 Dodson Ave., is owned by J.T. McDaniel who was present the night of the fight at his bar, but he said people who work for him hire the security guards and he does not know who they are or if they come from a licensed company. The night of March 15, a call was made to 911 with a woman reporting that there was about to be a fight and the people there were going to “jump her.” That was approximately 1 a.m. Sometime between 2 and 3 a.m. the fight happened, with multiple people hitting and kicking the girl who had called the police, all captured on video. “She should have called a cab instead of 911,” said Mr. Keene.
A telephone video showed the fight took place inside the bar and no security guards were there to break it up. There were no calls to 911 reporting the fight until two days later, which came from the victim’s mother, said Officer Collins.
Mr. McDaniel said that girls usually come in pairs and, when there is a disturbance, they all join in and it turns into a bar room brawl. Mr. McDaniel said security guards told him about a fight and that they had called police but had hung up because the police were already on site. Officer Collins said there is no record of a call except for the one an hour before the fight began. The failure to report the incident earned the bar the loss of the beer permit for seven days or a fine of $1,000.
