The News Room [News Archive]
Sheriff's
raid shuts down club that was "another Rhode Island
waiting to happen"
Illegal gas & electrical hookups posed fire hazard
at crowded club -- Deputies find drugs, alcohol, weapons & felons
at Highland Park site
At approximately
4:00 a.m. on Sunday, February 23, Wayne County Sheriff Warren
Evans and 50 of his deputies raided illegal after-hours establishment
in the city of Highland Park crowded with up to 450 people, according
to Evans. During the raid, he said, officers arrested 20 people
with outstanding warrants and issued more than 350 misdemeanor
tickets.
According to
their identification, patrons at the club were from as far away
as the cities of Jackson, Flint, Kalamazoo and the states of
Indiana, Ohio and Texas. Found among the patrons were illegal
narcotics, alcohol and firearms – typical for this type
of raid.
More troubling,
however, was the fact that the Power Plant nightclub, which was
operating without a license at the corner of Oakland Ave and
Victor, had illicit gas and electric hookups - and only one exit/entrance
- making it an extreme safety hazard.
According to
Evans, the combination of the jeri-rigged utility hookups, large
number of people and lack of exits, posed a fire hazard that
could have made the recent nightclub tragedy in West Warwick,
Rhode Island pale in comparison.
"The
Power Plant nightclub was a tragedy waiting to happen," Evans
said. "If this place caught fire, it would have been horrific.
In addition to having only one door, there was not a single fire
extinguisher to be found. Thankfully, we were able to shut this
place down before anything unfortunate happened."
DTE energy,
which was present at the raid, has since disconnected the illegal
hookups.
Undercover
Sheriff's deputies had been investigating the club for
the past several weeks based on tips from neighbors, said Evans.
Nearby residents had complained of hundreds of cars arriving
during the middle of the night, along with a great deal of noise
and homosexual activity. The officers who raided the club, however,
found no conclusive evidence of any illegal sexual activity.
Officers did
find, however, several firearms, including two rifles and a small
amount of marijuana. Animal Control was brought in to rescue
one dog that had clearly been neglected
Club
Operator Arrested
The 42-year old suspected operator of the club was among those arrested. The
Detroit male was wanted on multiple felony warrants in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb
counties, including writing bad checks, forgery and failure to appear in court.
Officers are investigating whether the suspect has other outstanding warrants
under at least two aliases.
Although Evans
still has to meet with prosecutors to decide on charges for the
club operator, the sheriff expects that he will face felony counts
of utility theft over $500, maintaining a drug house, sales of
alcohol without a license and misdemeanor animal cruelty.
Eye
on Highland Park
Evans said that this bust should serve notice to the people
of Highland Park that, despite the city's financial troubles, the Sheriff Office
is doing what it can to keep the community safe. Several weeks ago a task force
of mostly sheriff's deputies conducted a sweep that netted 43 wanted
felons and issued dozens of citations.
"If anyone
had the idea that no one was watching in Highland Park they'd
better guess again," Evans said.
Evans said
that his department has a number of other initiatives in the
works designed to help maintain and improve safety and the quality
of life in Highland Park.
Raid
Statistics
Estimated number of Patrons: 350-400
Arrests [with outstanding warrants]:
20 [including four with felonies]
Misdemeanor citations: 350
Vehicles Towed: 150 [as of 1:00 p.m.]
Amount in stolen
natural gas: $10,000
Amount in stolen electrical power: $3,000
Seized: 2 assault
rifles, one shotgun, one handgun;
$4,000 in cash;
Small amount of marijuana
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