Red Bank police paid a visit to the Chattanooga Beer and Wrecker Board meeting Thursday and left with a permit applicant in handcuffs.
Officers arrested Traporsha Ware, 31, while she was awaiting her turn in front of the beer board. Ware was applying for a beer sales permit at The Den Sports Bar & Lounge at 1200 E. 23rd St.
Red Bank police confirmed that Ware was arrested on charges of possession of cocaine for resale, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia from an earlier incident. She had outstanding arrest warrants from Red Bank City Court, they said.
“We do background checks on people,” explained Sgt. Mark Haskins, a Chattanooga police officer who enforces city beer and wrecker policies.
During the routine background check for permit applicants, police discovered the warrants against Ware and informed Red Bank, he said.
Ware’s father, Tommy Ware, and brother Derrick Ware went to the beer board podium after her departure to find out what they needed to do to continue the permit process.
“We were blindsided by this morning,” Derrick Ware told the board. “We are wondering what, if anything, can be done at this point?”
Board attorney Ken Fritz and Chairman J. Frederick Weinhold told the men that the permit could continue with a name change.
Permit guidelines ask applicants to disclose if they have been convicted of any permit violations or crimes other than misdemeanor traffic offenses in the last 10 years.
Ware was charged but not convicted on the Red Bank warrants.