TABC administrator, Fort Worth police chief both pledge ‘thorough investigations’ into Rainbow Lounge incident
 |
| Protesters line the sidewalk outside the Rainbow Lounge in Fort Worth on Sunday afternoon, June 28, expressing outrage over a joint TABC/Fort Worth police raid at the gay bar early that morning that left one man hospitalized. |
Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission Administrator Alan Steen on Wednesday, July 1, issued a statement acknowledging that the 26-year-old gay man hospitalized with a head injury following a raid Sunday, June 28 on a Fort Worth gay bar was injured while in the custody of TABC agents.
Two TABC agents involved in the incident have been reassigned to desk jobs while an investigation into the incident is conducted, according to reports posted online by NBC Channel 5 in Dallas.
According to the statement, Chad Gibson was one of 15 people arrested Saturday night and Sunday morning during “joint inspections” by TABC agents and officers with the Fort Worth Police Department at three bars. The inspections were conducted to “ensure compliance with state alcoholic beverage laws and local ordinances.”
Gibson was arrested inside the Rainbow Lounge at 651 S. Jennings St., along with three other men and one woman, according to Fort Worth Police Chief Jeffrey Halstead. The other 10 individuals were arrested at the Rosedale Saloon, the adjacent Cowboy Palace and an unnamed “unlicensed location,” the TABC statement said.
“At the Rainbow Lounge, TABC agents placed one individual under arrest, Chad Gibson, who was injured while in the agents’ custody. Mr Gibson was released to paramedics for treatment of alcohol poisoning and a head injury and transported to a local hospital,” the statement said.
Some reports have indicated that Gibson was taken into custody inside the nightclub and then taken outside where he began vomiting, and that he injured his head when he fell due to extreme intoxication.
Several eyewitnesses inside the club at the time, however, had described seeing Gibson grabbed by officers and thrown to the floor in a hallway at the back of the club. The witnesses said that Gibson hit his head at that point, and that several officers were holding him down, one kneeling on his back and another placing his foot on Gibson’s head or neck.
Gibson was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at JPS Hospital where he was treated for bleeding in his brain. He remained hospitalized as of press time on Wednesday, July 1.
 |
| In this photo taken by Chuck Potter, TABC agents in tan uniforms stand and kneel around a Rainbow Lounge patron lying face down on the floor during a joint TABC/Fort Worth police operation at the Fort Worth bar early Sunday morning, June 28. Family members have said the man on the floor is Chad Gibson, a 26-year-old gay man who sustained a serious head injury during the incident. TABC Administrator Alan Steen issued a statement Wednesday, July 1, acknowledging Gibson was injured while in TABC custody. |
“We are saddened that this incident occurred and extend our sincere hope that Mr. Gibson recovers quickly,” Steen said in the statement. “I have initiated an internal affairs investigation to answer questions about how these locations were chosen, to review the agents’ actions, and specifically to establish the facts surrounding Mr. Gibson’s injury.”
Steen also asks that anyone who witnessed misconduct by TABC agents contact Lt. Andy Pena, acting director of the agency’s Office of Professional Responsibility, by e-mail at opr@tabc.tx.us or by phone at 512-206-3405.
Steen said information on how to file a complaint against a TABC agent and information on agency policy on employee investigations can be found online at TABC.state.tx.us.
“I take seriously all allegations concerning inappropriate or illegal behavior by our employees,” Steen said. “We have in the past, and we will in the future, take action against any employee found to have violated agency policy or the law.”
Steen’s pledge for a thorough investigation of the raid at Rainbow Lounge and the circumstances surrounding Gibson’s injury echo a pledge made Tuesday evening by Fort Worth Police Chief Jeffrey Halstead.
Halstead said his department is conducting a comprehensive investigation into allegations of misconduct by Fort Worth police officers, and asked that anyone who witnessed the events at the bar contact Capt. Garcia at 817-392-4270.
Gay Fort Worth Councilmember Joel Burns was out of town when the raid occurred early Sunday morning.
But he returned in time to speak at a rally on the steps of the Tarrant County Courthouse that same evening.
Burns and Mayor Pro-Tem Kathleen Hicks, in whose district the Rainbow Lounge is located, both issued immediate calls for Halstead to begin an investigation of the incident. Burns also contacted state Sen. Wendy Davis and state Rep. Lon Burnham and asked for their assistance in communicating with TABC.
Davis said in a telephone interview Wednesday afternoon that she and Burnham had met earlier in the day with Steen and other TABC officials to discuss the situation.
Davis said she and Burnham asked Steen about TABC’s policies and procedures for conducting operations such as the one on Saturday night and “some very specific questions on how those policies and procedures were followed” in carrying out the inspection at the Rainbow Lounge and the other nightclubs.
“Both Lon and I want to get to the bottom of this, to find out factually what occurred and what should have occurred,” Davis said.
Davis said she and Burnham are “deeply concerned” over the outcome of the inspection, and over the fact that accounts given by TABC agents, Fort Worth police officers and eyewitnesses in the Rainbow Lounge “don’t seem to match up.”
She said TABC officials seemed “sincere” and “expressed the appropriate concern” over the situation, and that she was “comforted to hear they are conducting a detailed investigation” into the matter.
In a joint statement released later Wednesday, Davis and Burnham also called for an investigation by some agency outside TABC and Fort Worth police.
The legislators suggested the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Department as one possible option for conducting the investigation.
A photo taken inside the Rainbow Lounge by Chuck Potter as the raid was happening show several officers dressed in tan or khaki-colored uniforms surrounding an unidentified man who is lying face down on the floor in the back hallway of the bar, near the restroom.
Davis said she has been told the unidentified man on the floor “could be Chad Gibson.” A source
close to Gibson’s family said Wednesday that the man on the floor was definitely Gibson.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition July 3, 2009.
It won’t be the Evil Police that judges the Gay man, It will be I Joel that judges the law.
Federal level investigation! Get this investigation out of the local authorities – two separate state and local bodies acting in conspiracy committed these crimes – there is no way that a fair review could be conducted locally. It should also be clear that even if the police officers were not directly responsible for the harassment and injuries, that their duty is to intervene when it is happening anywhere. Because their jobs commanded them to intervene, their inaction was therefore deliberate, and made them conspirators to the offense. If Halstead doesn’t sincerely cooperate with a review of his department and its officers, then he is guilty as well – of maintaining disorder and corruption, and by extension, the assault and harassment that occurred here. Sure, a citizen can be guilty for inaction when witnessing a crime taking place – but how does it go when a police officer stands there, watches someone being assaulted, and does nothing?
Isn’t it ironic that enforcement like this never seems to happen at places like Hooters.
State Sen. Wendy Davis and Lon Burnam have called for an outside INDEPENDENT team to investigate.
TABC admits injury occured in their Custody?
That…to me….says….LAWSUIT.
Chad, you should sue the living HELL out of the TABC.
You deserve EVERY PENNY that agency can cough up.
Any one ever heard the rumors about Rick Perry?
Over the past couple of days I have contacted multiple sources regarding this event and, as yet, am not satisfied that there is an “investigation” worthy of the term being conducted. It is my earnest hope that these impressions are simply premature. Any person who was a witness to this undeniable hate crime should notify Sgt. Jones with the Ft. Worth PD’s Internal Affairs unit. He is the person charged by that agency to conduct this investigation. Rest assured that as an individual who has been actively involved in the national political arena for almost two decades, I am making every effort to assist my friends and Family within the GLBT community. Although I live more than a thousand miles from where this travesty of justice occurred, I have been in contact with several officials in DC and have officially requested that the United States Department of Justice begin an immediate investigation into the felonious actions by members of the Texas “law-enforcement” community. This prejudice cannot stand. We as a community and as a nation stand in solidarity with our oppressed brothers and sisters. This imfamy must not go unanswered.
I heard today that Mayor Moncrief has asked the Federal Govt. to investigate this incident. I wonder if would make sense for gay bars to install camera systems to monitor police raids to ensure that the truth comes out. I have doubts about the police officers involved in Ft. Worth telling the truth.
What are the rumors about Rick Perry?
Very good point, Joel.
The “Leadership” will declare that all “Policies, Rules, and Proper Procedures” have been followed.
I say that the following of unConstitutional, unFair, Prejudicial procedures is still UNJUST OPPRESSION.
TABC ignores the simple rules of search and evidence that most other agencies use. Most agencies ignore simple search and privacy and Miranda rules as much as they know they can get away with it – I see it on TV shows like ‘Cops’ all the time. Judges and prosecutors railroad juries into convicting defendants. The whole ‘Justice’ system is warped.
http://www.FIJA.org
Another aspect of this incident and a great deal of what is wrong with law enforcement everywhere is Thier “I’m The Man” attitude (held by women LEOs as well).
Fort Worth’s Chief of police initially defended his people by claiming that they were provoked. He then (metaphorically) leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, as if that were excuse enough for harassing, beating, and arresting random members of the citizenry, and thereby Terrorizing the ENTIRE citizenry.
Typically, simply attracting the attention of a LEO is enough to get you beaten and arrested, possibly ruining your life as you know it. The “Public Intoxication” charge is tailor-made for this — There is No Physical Proof of the crime, just your word against “THEM” (police AND judges).
Who allowed this sort of law on the books? From the TABC website:
Is a peace officer required to offer a breath or blood test to individuals before he/she cites them for public intoxication?
No. They may offer a portable breath test, but breath or blood samples are not required for a public intoxication citation.
Since when are you assumed guilty? Why aren’t people more upset about the unilateral authority that the TABC seems to have? What happened to ‘presumed innocent’?
Until you’ve had a “brush” with the law, you don’t realize that cops are really bullies who have found a legal means to express themselves. On TV, the cops are always so caring and helpful. If you’re a gay person out for the night, you shouldn’t assume that the police are there to look out for your safety. They are there to harrass you. I was raised to respect the police and tell the truth. But they will lie to you and abuse you if given the chance. Please don’t assume that I have had frequent interactions with the police. Once was enough to show me that they have the power and they like to assert it.