February 3, 2009

With violence swirling, city bar turns in liquor license

A bar that had violence swirling around it late last year has turned in it liquor license rather than improve security.

The city had its eye on Cash Money, 901 S. Memorial Drive, after police reported three major crimes near or in the bar between Aug. 31 and Sept. 29.

Cash Money's owner, Tommy Daniel, appeared before the Public Safety and Licensing Committee on Jan. 26 to explain his bar's role in a murder, a shooting and a battery that all occurred between Aug. 30 and Nov. 29.

The murder occurred about 2:15 a.m. on Aug. 31 outside of the bar where a 26-year-old man was gunned down in the 1400 block of 9th St. Amattola Feemster, who was celebrating his 26th birthday, was shot after an argument on the street.

The shooting occurred on Nov. 29 outside of the bar. A 23-year-old man was shot in the lower back and survived.

The battery occurred inside the bar on Oct. 18 after the victim had run in asking Daniel to call the police. He refused and the woman's boyfriend came in and attacked her with a bar stool, according to police.

Daniel defended his bar to the committee by noting he was closed when the two shooting occurred, and claimed he didn't hear the woman asking him to call police. A police department representative responded that both shootings occurred immediately outside of Cash Money, and one of the victims had been in the bar prior to getting shot.

"This didn't happen two-thirds of the way down the block, but outside the front door," the police rep said.

Daniel said he did his best to control the crowd. If he senses things getting out of hand, he'll close early to cool things down. He's also installed eight security cameras to deter criminal activity. "I try to stop it," Daniel said about violence, "but if two people just walk in, I can't stop it."

"If I see somebody doing something, I call the police," he added. "I don't want anyone to get hurt."

But when it came time to write a security plan with the city, Daniel turned in his liquor license. Cash Money is now closed.

2 comments:

  1. Thank God!

    Thanks too to the Public Safety and Licensing Committee the bad bars know you do not play games and will act to close those who do not want change

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  2. I don't know what happened that night of ahattola's death because i live in kenosha and i was not there but ahattola is my 8yr old daughter father and i heard this owner drugg him out the bar, where he suppose to have got shot at and not outside. whatever happened im glad the bar is closed down. That won't bring him back but justice will be served

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