Fort Worth Mayor Apologizes for Raid

Yesterday, Mike Moncrief the mayor of Fort Worth, Texas, publicly apologized for a raid on the Rainbow Lounge, a gay bar in Fort Worth. The raid has been at the center of controversy as many patrons who were at the bar during the raid have made claims of brutality and procedure violations. The raid left one man hospitalized with a serious head injury.

Approximately 250 people filled the council chambers yesterday as an about 150 others viewed the meeting on televisions in the hallway as city officials discussed the raid held by the Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission in conjunction with the Fort Worth Police Department at the Rainbow Lounge.

Mayor Moncrief told attendees of the meeting that neither the TABC nor the Fort Worth police had finished investigations into the raid. Initially both the TABC and the FWPD claimed this was not a “raid”, but rather a a “routine license inspection.” However, as noted by many, a “routine inspection” should not require a force compiled of both TABC agents and police officers.

The mayor stated he has asked the U.S. Attorney’s Office to review the department’s findings, but someone in the attending crowd shouted out a request for an apology, to which the Mayor stated:

“If you want an apology from the mayor of Fort Worth: I am sorry about what happened in Fort Worth.”

Two of the city’s council members have called for independent investigations into the raid, which is viewed as necessary being neither the TABC or police would be able to give an accurate account of what happened without jeopardizing their reputations. Anyone familiar with states that have an ABC that includes officers who go out on “inspections” know they have open ticket to do whatever they want, typically without the threat of recourse, mostly because any hearings conducted about TABC actions are presided over by a “judge” who is also an employee of the state’s ABC.

According to reports, Tom Anable, a man at the bar during the raid, told coucilmembers that on the night of the raid he saw an agent slam one man into a pool table after the man said he was drinking water and shouldn’t be arrested. Anable also stated he witnessed a TABC agent slam 26 year-old Chad Gibson, into a wall. Gibson was later hospitalized with a serious head injury. The agent claimed that Gibson “groped” him but Anable disputes that claim as false.

Another patron, Sarah Bryant had to fight back tears as she spoke to the council. Bryant stated she had seen fights at bars before, but this, “was the first time that I was really afraid of the police.”

Earlier yesterday, Fort Worth Police Chief, Jeff Halstead stated he has appointed Officer Sara Straten as a liaison to the city’s LGBT community with hopes of overcoming the crisis and to prevent any lack of communication in the future.