Bar Owner Fights Back Against City Shutting Down His Hot Springs Business
By: Josh Berry
Updated: October 5, 2012
A Hot Springs bar owner is fighting back against the city. He claims they're treating him unfairly and making him the scape-goat for crimes, ultimately shutting down his bar.
The bar came in to the initial spotlight when six people were shot outside their bar last month.
The owners said they shouldn't be held responsible for a random shooting on the street, just because it was in front of the bar. Because of the shooting however, the business has been labeled a public nuisance.
911 recordings tell the tale of the night from the early morning hours of September 22nd, the same night six people were shot outside Pocket's Full Sports Bar and Billiards in Hot Springs.
At least a half dozen calls however, weren't from that shooting. They reported shots fired in different areas.
Barry Hicks, the owner of Pocket's Full, was forced to shut his doors though.
"We got abated, closed down for the shooting," Hicks said.
A list of crimes, all with police reports including the shooting, were cause for the county to close him down.
The bar understands, things like fights may happen inside the bar, and they take responsibility. What they won't take the fall for though, is 21 incidents an abatement officer blamed on the bar and classified the place as a nuisance. It included one fight the bar said happened outside, in fact not even on their property at all. It happened in a housing neighborhood over 2 miles away.
"She ran and got a machete basically and cut me on my face right here," Ladedra Payne explained, recounting the fight.
Payne said she got into a fight with another woman, long after leaving the bar. In an officer's statement however said it all happened back at Pocket's Full.
"Why lie?" Payne asked. "If it didn't happen there, it didn't happen there."
Hicks thinks something else is going on.
He's asked for help from police to secure the street where his bar sits, but claimed they say no.
"They're letting it happen," Hicks said. "They wait for it to happen and then come and blame it on us."
He says it's an ulterior motive to get him out of the building, motivated by a near-by business owner.
Until something is resolved though, the owners are left with a bar, barred from doing business.
"I think we're getting the raw deal of the situation in Hot Springs," said Hicks.
We've tried to get in touch with the county and city regarding this case but because it's still under review, they say they can't speak on it.
The owners of the bar report they have a meeting with the Alcoholic Beverage Control next week in hopes of getting their liquor license back.
The bar came in to the initial spotlight when six people were shot outside their bar last month.
The owners said they shouldn't be held responsible for a random shooting on the street, just because it was in front of the bar. Because of the shooting however, the business has been labeled a public nuisance.
911 recordings tell the tale of the night from the early morning hours of September 22nd, the same night six people were shot outside Pocket's Full Sports Bar and Billiards in Hot Springs.
At least a half dozen calls however, weren't from that shooting. They reported shots fired in different areas.
Barry Hicks, the owner of Pocket's Full, was forced to shut his doors though.
"We got abated, closed down for the shooting," Hicks said.
A list of crimes, all with police reports including the shooting, were cause for the county to close him down.
The bar understands, things like fights may happen inside the bar, and they take responsibility. What they won't take the fall for though, is 21 incidents an abatement officer blamed on the bar and classified the place as a nuisance. It included one fight the bar said happened outside, in fact not even on their property at all. It happened in a housing neighborhood over 2 miles away.
"She ran and got a machete basically and cut me on my face right here," Ladedra Payne explained, recounting the fight.
Payne said she got into a fight with another woman, long after leaving the bar. In an officer's statement however said it all happened back at Pocket's Full.
"Why lie?" Payne asked. "If it didn't happen there, it didn't happen there."
Hicks thinks something else is going on.
He's asked for help from police to secure the street where his bar sits, but claimed they say no.
"They're letting it happen," Hicks said. "They wait for it to happen and then come and blame it on us."
He says it's an ulterior motive to get him out of the building, motivated by a near-by business owner.
Until something is resolved though, the owners are left with a bar, barred from doing business.
"I think we're getting the raw deal of the situation in Hot Springs," said Hicks.
We've tried to get in touch with the county and city regarding this case but because it's still under review, they say they can't speak on it.
The owners of the bar report they have a meeting with the Alcoholic Beverage Control next week in hopes of getting their liquor license back.
Comments
As far as the incident with Ms. Payne... It did not occur at Pockets Full, it occured miles away and the initial altercation did not occur their either. I do not know where this story came from, but it is a lie! I was present during both altercations and the initial altercation was over me. The second where Ms. Payne was cut was related to her coming to the other party's house after the initial altercation. Do not blame the owners of the club for random acts of violence that they cannot control and the police do not control. They wait until something like this happens and point fingers. What happened to protect and serve? Because now it seems to be harrass and observe.
Karryn B.
October 6, 2012 at 12:47 pm
As far as the incident with Ms. Payne... It did not occur at Pockets Full, it occured miles away and the initial altercation did not occur their either. I do not know where this story came from, but it is a lie! I was present during both altercations and the initial altercation was over me. The second where Ms. Payne was cut was related to her coming to the other party's house after the initial altercation. Do not blame the owners of the club for random acts of violence that they cannot control and the police do not control. They wait until something like this happens and point fingers. What happened to protect and serve? Because now it seems to be harrass and observe.
Karryn B.
October 6, 2012 at 12:45 pm
