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The story usually follows the same line -- a night club is the scene of a violent incident, the District responds by temporarily shutting it down and it invariably loses its liquor license and goes out of business. It happened at Club U, at Kili's Kafe and at Club 1919. And after a fatal shooting over the weekend at H20, the swanky waterfront club may be next.
One man was shot and killed in an altercation outside the club on Sunday morning. Two men had been arguing inside the club as it closed, and both were ejected by bouncers. One went to his car, retrieved a gun, shot the other and was then shot himself by a police officer working security. In response, D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier used emergency powers and shut down the club for four days.
Today the Post reports that the club's owner, Abdul Khanu, has protested the closing of the club, arguing:
We did everything right. These guys had been arguing and feuding in their neighborhood for some time. These same two guys could have seen each other at a Lakers game and got into it. I would just like to know: If the same situation happened at the Verizon Center...would she [Lanier] shut down the Verizon Center? I think it's politics. I think it's public relations.
While the details of the shootings are investigated, Khanu's question is worth considering. According to the news, H20 ejected the men, neither of which were armed at the time. The killing occured outside of the club. At this point, there seems to be little to indicate that the club could have done anything to prevent the shooting. What it did manage to do was take down the shooter -- using an off-duty police officer hired for additional security. Even more notable is the fact that police have only been called to respond to crimes linked to the club seven times this year, down from 25 last year, and officials were clear that it had never been much of a problem. So why would Lanier take the step of shutting down the club, even if temporarily? Would she have done the same had the killed occured after dinner at a swanky restaurant? Or after a heated feud over team loyalty at RFK? Probably not.
The power to shut down a club temporarily is a useful one, especially if it can be proven that the club did not exercise its responsibilities to prevent violence. But should emergency powers be applied in every case?
Photo from film.dc.gov
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Professional bouncers will tell you that their job goes beyond the club doors. They will also tell you that when patrons are fighting they must not only be thrown out, but also kept separate.
the owner appears to be correct on this one. they did the job and got the fighters out of the place. whether the shooting would have taken place 10 feet outside the door or on the other side of town shouldn't be the owner's fault, as long as their security ensured that it didn't take place inside.
"They will also tell you that when patrons are fighting they must not only be thrown out, but also kept separate."
But is this possible every time, or in this case? I'm not sure what the bouncer is supposed to do in this type of situation. Follow the guy back to his car? Make sure he drives all the way home? How far does responsibility extend?
I have to agree with the club owner on this one. The patrons were kicked out. The weapons were retrieved from cars outside the club and the shooting happened outside. Other than requiring background checks and character references for patrons, how could any nightclub owner have prevented this.
Why did Lanier shut the club down? Very easy. Because she doesn't want to listen to Jim Graham harangue her for not dealing with the violence in clubs.
One way to end club violence in this area: enforce Leonard Cohen or Tangerine Dream only playlists. Nice.
The difference is that this would not have happened at Verizon center, because Verizon center security would not have simply ejected the guys; at Verizon center the guys would have been turned over to the DCPD. This is why nightclubs keep getting shut down: they need to start having dangerous customers arrested instead of just tossing a pair (or more) of violent drunks out into the street.
Of course, the city could make things a little easier by creating a Good Samaritan law that blocks nightclubs for being sued after they handcuff a few violent assholes to a pole outside until the cops show up.
Asking venue owners to play cop puts way too much responsibility, liability, and potential for abuse on their heads.
And no, no bouncer would keep the guys in the club. How the would you keep them separate? And what about the risk to other patrons that keeping two potentially pugnacious pricks in the club would present?
Triple word alliteration by accident! w00t!
well, not sure i agree with the assesment that H2O is "swanky"
One way to end club violence in this area: enforce Leonard Cohen or Tangerine Dream only playlists. Nice.
Wouldn't music induced suicide count as violence, though?
I agree Legba. I work in a club on the other side of town and we try to keep the cops out as much as possible. When you have cops out front, you lose customers fast. One time we had a fight in the club, someone called the cops and as soon as they went in, half the club cleared out. As much as we need them at times, we don't need them all the time. You cannot arrest every patron that starts a fight. For the most part, you cannot figure out what happened until you have talked to everyone that has witnessed the fight.
I feel bad for the people who work there, especially for the bartenders who have that as their sole job. I've been in the situation of a club closing down when you were expecting to make a couple hundred dollars that weekend - and this is something that happened outside of the club.
Unfortunatly clubs take responsiblity for violence on their block. You could have 2 people get in a fight down the street that have never been in your club, but you still get the ABC violation. It's unfair, but that is currently the case. Also, alcohol isn't always the contributing factor. Some people are just assholes sober or drunk.
The problem is a larger one in that this club is just that, a club. It's license is for a restaurant and it must obtain 40% of it's income from food sales. The residents of the SW neighborhoods surrounding H2O would argue the the establishment has long operated as a night club primarily, with a facade of being a restaurant. What goes on in the parking areas along Water St. and Maine Ave (M St) are just a minimal reflection of the noise, trash, fighting and speeding that goes on throughout the neighborhood because of this club. So while this shooting might have been the most notable of offenses surrounding this club as of late, it is hardly an isolated one.
its true.
Saturday nights in SW waterfront are definitely impacted by H20.
lots of drunk driving heading east on M.
In the W. Post, the shooter said he DID bring his gun in the club, because he did not have to go through security since he was VIP.
This club has increased crime in the neighborhood since it opened. Why does this one attract crime when the neighboring ones do not? The owner should be required to operate like everyone else... including obtaining the proper liquor license.