This is from TABC spokeswoman Carolyn Beck:
TABC Responds to Complaint Against Dallas Eagle
On July 10, 2009, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) licensing division in Austin Headquarters received an anonymous complaint that Dallas Eagle (Permit #MB254723) had changed locations without transferring their permit. The Dallas Eagle permit is issued for 2515 Inwood Road, Dallas, Texas. The complaint alleged that they were having a “grand opening” at 5740 Maple in Dallas.
TABC licenses and permits are specific to certain owners and specific locations. The Dallas Eagle had applied for a change of address and change of officer on July 7, 2009, but the application processing was not complete, and the Dallas Eagle did not have a permit for the new location.
On July 10, at approximately 9:50pm, upon arriving at 5740 Maple to investigate the complaint, TABC agents learned that the Dallas Police Department had also received a complaint and were planning to work the location in an undercover capacity. TABC agents left the location and returned later to seize the alcoholic beverages being sold.
TABC agents were not wearing masks, and agents did not make any arrests or issue any criminal citations at Dallas Eagle. TABC did not “close down” the bar, but agents did advise the permit holders that they could not sell alcoholic beverages at that location.
TABC intends to take administrative action against the permit holder for sale of alcoholic beverages away from the licensed premises (Section 11.06 Alcoholic Beverage Code). The Dallas Eagle could have their permit suspended for 3-5 days or receive a fine (in lieu of suspension) ranging from $900-$1,500.
TABC will continue to work with Dallas Eagle to process their application to transfer their permit to the new location.
From the Alcoholic Beverage Code: Sec. 11.06. Privileges Limited to Licensed Premises. No person may use a permit or exercise any privileges granted by the permit except at the place, address, premises, or location for which the permit is issued, except as otherwise provided by this code.
No RAID here. Nothing. Just bad management.
Anonymous complaint? Since when can you make a complaint to the police without giving your full name? The police should have caller ID that cannot be blocked and trace back who made the calls.
Why would the Dallas Police need undercover agents to go to a bar and check a permit hanging on the wall at the entrance? All they would have to do is walk up the entrance and look at the permit hanging there.
TABC agents may not have been wearing masks, but at least one DPD officer was… why?
Also, why did TABC dump out of all the Eagle’s alcohol — shouldn’t they have at least let them move it to the old space LESS than 100 yards away?
And if it was all just about the alcohol, why did the DPD force the DJ to turn off the music? Seems like that shouldn’t have been an issue if this was just an administrative issue.
So because someone decided to call two different agencies to report a bar moving across a parking lot, a few hundred people’s evenings were ruined and the bar was closed for the weekend. Sounds to me like someone is unnecessarily bitter and nasty.
And really, couldn’t Dallas USE the TAX revenue from an Opening Night/Weekend right about now? Bar harassment on such an extremely minor technicality seems disingenuous for both agencies. People were enjoying themselves at a well-established bar. There was no real reason for these agencies to be aggressive about this paperwork issue.
I do think it speaks to a longer pattern of extra scrutiny of the Dallas Eagle. And from that perspective, it may not look like a raid to you, but it was definitely obnoxious and insulting to me.
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There are 3 photos of the masked Dallas Police officers posted on the Chaser Blog. Those are the two masked men that I saw. Two photos show the big man in the black Ninja mask. One shows the man in the red bandanna mask with the ball cap.
I’m not sure if you guys are naive, flaming queens or just plain ignorant. So sorry your evening/weekend was ruined or you were inconvienenced in any way. To think, they had the nerve to turn off the music so they could conduct business. Oh my. So pick up your phone, call 911, make a complaint against someone without leaving you identificatoin. Yes, Dorothy, it’s that easy. What are ya’ll about 12 years old or what?
I could try to use reason in this comment, as I have tried when commenting on other posts on this site, but really, why bother? People caught up in hysteria or conspiracy theories have no use for reason. So all I can say is this: The alcohol was illegal. Dumping it is standard procedure. And when, exactly, did ski masks become ninja masks? Undercover cops always wear masks when they go back into locations to make arrests…it’s for their own protection so they don’t ruin their cover. More standard procedure. Haven’t ya’ll ever watched Cops…or even Law and Order??? The bar owners – as documented on another post on this site – have already accepted responsibility and stated that the matter is being handled. Move on.
The TABC must be right because they said so! I forgot that the police are not influenced by a political agenda! Dam I’ve been wasting my time with activism!
Wale up!!!
We need to keep questioning these agencies and hold them accountable for their conduct. If we didn’t question political figures and agencies we wouldn’t be where we are today. If we didn’t question the intolerable acts of 1774 we would remained a step child of the British Government. Voice your concerns everyone and show the state of Texas that LGBT people are out for our full equality and nothing less!!
Why does the state of Texas even have an agency like the TABC? I would think that most citizens would be OK if police arrest someone who is in inebriated and is about to drive (or actually driving). The public safety is at risk. But coming into a bar and arresting people who are not harming anyone and is taking a cab home or riding with someone is draconian and backwards. As a native Texan, I am embarrassed at how stupid we as a state look (pick a subject) to the rest of the world.
Thom, go to the TABC website and educate yourself on what the purpose of TABC is. It has a purpose, fills a need and is not going away.
@Charlie, I agree, did they have to shut down the bar and ruin our evenings. I had a brand new custom tailored leather outfit, made a stunning entrance and hardly anyone got to see me. Now I’ll have to get a new outfit made in time for the new opening again!!!
@Pup, I agree, I had a brand new outfit just like Bruno’s that I barely got to show off. Now what am I gonna do? 🙁
So, Guy, clearly you’ve called on others anonymously before. Does it make you feel big and important?
You are exactly the type of person I would expect it from — one who tosses negativity and stereotypes around in an effort to be incendiary rather than using your intellect to compose a compelling response.
Heck, if you can’t use your brain, try your wit and at least give us some entertaining commentary — you seem to think you have some.
Pup,
How about something Ninja? Come on. You’ll probably get some attention or detention. Waaaah!
@Brian, LOVE IT!
All I have to say is the owners of the Eagle screwed up big time. Their incompetence caused this and made us look bad for sticking up for them. Now we’ve been distracted from the REAL problem (Rainbow Lounge…. remember that?) and can count on even less sympathy from the general public.
I want to support the Eagle and wish them success in their new location, but they picked the worst possible day to get in trouble with the law.
Picked the wrong day? Come on. Does one pick the day you get a speeding ticked, or pick the day that one smashes the car in front of him on the freeway because one is tailgating. Picking a day to get into trouble with the law is like choosing to be gay. That’s just not the way it goes.
Point well made about the differences between the Eagle and the Rainbow Lounge. The situations appear to have been very different. However, in both cases, the gay communities of Dallas and Fort Worth have a golden opportunity to pull together for a cause rather than destruct from within. Sympathy from the general public? I’ve never noticed that it existed. I would be happy to see some empathy among ourselves.
One of the most moving sermons I ever heard in a Christian church theorized that some of the same individuals who stood on the road to Jerusalem and shouted “Hosanna” on Sunday were probably some of the same individuals who stood in Pilate’s garden on Thursday night shouting, “Crucify him.” If this theory contains any gain of truth, sadly, it seems we haven’t learned much as humans in 2000 years. People who were at the Eagle to celebrate Friday night are now ready to throw the management “under the bus”. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Wow how messy is it? The Eagle management has admitted to not doing the right thing. Hold on and let me get the whip out. All the commentary above is just useless. I guess noone who made a negative comment ever made a mistake or had bad judgement. Truth is The Eagle is just as good a place to go out and have fun as any of the other clubs one might choose to go to. Its part of our community. The problem will be fixed and hopefully those in the wrong will have learned a lesson. I am certainly not going to judge anyone involved after thinking back on my own past history. The TABC had the right to check and enforce the laws we vote for and put through for our public safety, as do the Dallas Police Dept. One thing that I find disconcerting is that on any given weekend in Dallas County, in either straight or gay or any other venue, TABC nor DPD check any clubs for underage drinkers. I have been to all types of clubs in the DFW area and after 11pm to 2am witnessed countless youth in the clubs. I am not saying the underage drinkers do not have IDs but I am 45 yrs old and I know when someone is underage. I know for a fact that Cedar Springs is not willing to loose the monies these underage drinkers bring in. I have made it a habit to leave when the influx of minors filling the clubs, usually around 11pm -midnight. I can not say who the offenders are but I can say there are few clubs in this town that do not bend the rules when it comes to allowing minors in the clubs. I challenge TABC and the Dallas Police Dept to correct this situation in the future. Where are the parents in this scenario? Why is it that you never hear about what the parents think of this until something bad happens to their child or their child finds themself having to live with accidently crashing and killing someone while drunk ? Why do you allow your children to run the streets then you show up on some newscast crying about how your child was hit by a drunk driver? You might be surprise to find out someday that your child was thee offender. I say that if stiffer penalties for club owners and negligent parents were in place you would see a lot less problems in this arena. More frequent random checks by TABC and Dallas Police Dept would also crack down on minors in the clubs. Wake up Club Owners Parents TABC Dallas Police Dept!
Mark and everyone else making a big deal out of this incident. This is not a gay harrassment issue! Get over it and accept that the TABC and DPD investigated, NOT RAIDED, the Dallas Eagle based on a complaint about the move to a new location without a new liquor permit. The owners of Dallas Eagle have admitted fault and have admitted that the TABC and DPD were only doing their jobs and apologized to them for our, yes the gay community, being misinformed and our adverse press they are enduring for doing their job! They additionally stated that they were not harrassed or threatened and that TABC and DPD were polite and organized. Unfortunately, TABC and DPD received the complaint that Friday and responded to it that day. They didn’t have knowledge of this complaint prior on Wednesday or Thursday or I am sure they would have investigated the complaint then. So, for those of you whining about having your night ruined on Grand Opening night…oh well that’s the way it went down so stop blaming the cops because it is the Dallas Eagle’s fault for ruining your night! Also, you state that TABC is constantly harrassing the Dallas Eagle. Give us some dates becuase after speaking to Dallas Eagle Staff, they state that TABC has not been harrassing them and that they only come in a few times a year for a routine inspection! Also, TABC is a state police agency. They are state police officers like Troopers with DPS and Game Wardens and they have full peace officer powers. You also state TABC stays away from the Cedar Springs gay bars…NOT TRUE…they routinely are inspecting these bars as I have seen them there as recent as last week. Check with those bars and get your facts straight before you open your big mouth! Again, everyone was so quick to jump the bandwagon of discrimination and harrassment and all you did was give the gay community a black eye for being a bunch of drama queens!!!
About the checking of bars by TABC. I have also been in the clubs on Cedar Springss when TABC came in but it has never happened on a weekend nor at the times that I specified. Most bars on the strip are rather empty through the week. Check them out on the weekend at 11pm to 2am. Check any club in Dallas around that time regardless of the clientel it serves. See what TABC finds.