Bike Night at Dixie Roadhouse in Cape Coral, Florida
Master Sgt. Allan Kolak, the department's public affairs
officer, said via email that shortly before 3 a.m. Dec. 8, the patrons got into
an altercation and yelled gang-affiliated comments. Police determined they were
related to a Fort Myers-based motorcycle club that is on the U.S. Attorney's Most Violent
Offender List.
He said officers observed members of both the
"Eternals" and the "Outlaws" motorcycle clubs leaving Dixie Roadhouse
about the time of the altercation.
"Officers called for backup and all south units
responded to the scene, totaling 13 police officers," Kolak said.
"The necessary allocation of police personnel required by this violent
activity compromised the police protection for the remaining south district for
approximately one hour."
According to an officer narrative report from the incident,
some people who were fighting were detained in handcuffs but released after the
situation calmed down. No one cooperated with the investigation, the report
said.
Police Chief David Newlan suspended the permit on Wednesday,
Dec. 12, but the decision to revoke the permit stems from an "increasing
threat to the public health, safety and welfare" posed by Dixie Roadhouse,
Kolak said.
He said officers have reported an increase in motorcycle club members
patronizing Dixie, and there were six incidents in September concerning
intoxicated patrons. Among those, he said two patrons were found passed out,
one in the bar and the other in a nearby public parking lot; and two patrons
were arrested as a result of DUI incidents, one of which resulted in a
DUI-related vehicle crash.
Kolak said Dixie staff "failed or refused to take reasonable precautions to discourage unlawful activity including, but not limited to, disturbances and vehicular use by intoxicated patrons." The police chief recommended prohibiting motorcycle club colors at Dixie, but Kolak said the recommendation was ignored.
"Chief Newlan has discussed, several times, the need
for this establishment to impress on its employee's responsible hospitality
industry practices concerning both the welfare of intoxicated patrons and the
need to refuse to serve persons who are or are in danger of becoming
intoxicated," There has not been
any appreciable improvement in the management of these practices.
A Dixie Roadhouse manager was not available Wednesday
afternoon.
Cape Coral issued the extended hours permit to Dixie
Roadhouse in April, after City Council passed an ordinance to extend bar hours
to 3 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday mornings in the city's CRA district, which
includes businesses along Cape Coral Parkway East and SE 47th Terrace. Bars
previously had to close by 2 a.m.
Proponents of the ordinance, which passed 7-1, argued the
extended hours would attract more people to the Cape and show local businesses
that the city supports them. Newlan said during the city council meeting in March that
the city's previous trial with 4 a.m. hours showed an increases in service
calls.
"When you bring in a larger crowd down to an area,
you've got to expect there's going to be an uptick in calls for service and/or
crime," Newlan said at the March meeting. "It's going to
happen."
The News-Press previously reported that Dixie Roadhouse was
deriving the greatest benefit from a previous extended bar hours trial in the
city. Police said that two other businesses, BaackStreets Sports Bar and Remixx
Lounge, currently use their extended hour permits.
SOURCE: ABC 7
