The Chattanooga Beer & Wrecker Board suspended the licenses of Southside Social for five days during its meeting Thursday.
Southside Social received its suspension for failure to report a fight between its then head of security, Nathan Thompson, and a patron. Officer John Foster told the board that he ended up arresting the club security guard involved in the fight after determining that he had used excessive force and later admitted to another officer that he had used cocaine that night while on duty.
When he arrived, Foster said he found a man in the Republic Parking lot across from the club on Chestnut Street with cuts on his face. He told Foster that the altercation came after Thompson witnessed the alleged victim and a woman leave the same bathroom on the second floor of the venue, and told them to leave.
The patron told the officer that he "got verbal' with the guard and a fight ensued. When other security personnel arrived, Foster said the patron told him he raised his hands in submission and the guard hit him twice with his radio.
State law requires that the club report all such fights and incidents big and small. Eric Fish was manager on duty on Feb. 9 when the incident happened, and told the board he was not aware of the fight until police officers arrived.
Officer John Collins told the board that only one call was made to report the fight and that it came from the patron.
General Manager Josh Lang told the board that the Thompson had been on the job about eight months and had been responsible for making several improvements to the club's security system including adding more communication headsets and training.
Lang said he dismissed the guard the day after the incident and that J-Hall Security has since been hired by the venue.
In other business, the board suspended the beer license for Doc Holidays on Ashland Terrace for 10 days for allowing staff to drink on the premises.
DUI Officer Michael Terry told the board that CPD had gotten an anonymous call stating that owner Raulston Combs and a bartender were at the club a little after midnight on Feb. 9 and that they were drinking.
Upon arrival he found only the bartender and after noting that she seemed shaky, glossy-eyed and swaying, he asked if she would take a breathalyzer. She declined, so he ordered her to close down the club for the night.
He said officers then gathered in the parking lot and he was later told that a second anonymous call came in to CPD stating that Combs had returned in a black truck, but didn't get out.
Combs disputed the account telling the board that the waitress in question doesn't drink and that he did return and went into the club that night. The club was issued a reprimand on Nov. 7, 2019 for a similar violation and had another dismissed on Jan. 23 of 2020.
Motions to suspend the license for five days and then two weeks failed to get the required five votes with dissenting members saying the first was too lenient and the second too harsh. A motion to suspend for seven days also failed to get enough votes.
Both suspensions are scheduled to start on March 19.
The board also approved special events permits for the Chattanooga Shamrock Run 2020 to be held on Riverfront Parkway on March 15, the St. Paddy's on the Parkway at Patten Parkway on March 14 and the Brew Skies Beer and Food Festival inside Miller Park on March 28.
It also approved new permits for MP Lounge & Grill sports bar on Dodson Avenue and consumer and catering permits for Dave & Buster's on Hamilton Place Boulevard. It is set to open on March 16, according to manager Leslie Suarez.
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.