TABC Chief: We Messed Up

The head of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission yesterday admitted that his agents violated their own procedures in their raid of the Rainbow Lounge in Fort Worth. The Dallas Voice has an exclusive interview:

The administrator of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission said this week that two TABC agents involved in a raid of the Rainbow Lounge on June 28 committed multiple “clear violations” of agency policy. In an exclusive phone interview with Dallas Voice on Wednesday, July 15, TABC Administrator Alan Steen also said the supervisor directly responsible for the two agents — a sergeant in TABC’s Fort Worth district office — announced his retirement last week in the wake of the raid and amid an ongoing internal investigation. Steen didn’t identify the sergeant or the agents by name.

“I don’t think you have to dig very deep to figure out that TABC has violated some of their policies,” Steen said. “We know that, and I apologize for that. Like I said in my original press release, we have in the past and we will in the future act very swiftly in making sure that those issues are corrected. It’s real clear that however it is that we were doing business that night is not the typical TABC. ... I have good policy in place, I have good training in place, and I have good supervision in place to ensure that things like this don’t happen.” Steen said if the two agents, who are on desk duty pending the outcome of the investigation, sought approval from the supervisor before the Rainbow Lounge inspection, it shouldn’t have been granted. The agents were accompanied by six Fort Worth police officers.

As ugly as this entire situation has been, heads have rolled, investigations continue, and the voices of the LGBT community are clearly being listened to Fort Worth. That, at least, is satisfying. Expect a big settlement for Chad Gibson.

New Evidence In Ft. Worth Bar Raid

Fort Worth police have released more information about the raid of the Rainbow Lounge. According to the report, police returned to the bar two days after arrested a departing patron for public intoxication.

That weekend, officers returned to the lounge with TABC officers for a bar check. A police radio recording revealed that an officer called for help after they went inside the Rainbow Lounge. "I need help in here," he could be heard saying. "I'm by the restroom." That call came when officers said a customer blew a kiss at the officer, and then struggled with police as they tried to arrest him. The customer told News 8 his arm was injured. In police records, officers also said a woman's hips touched an officer in a sexually explicit way. The reports also said Gibson tapped an officer's genitals. "[It] didn't happen," Gibson said. "It's a big lie."

In records, a Fort Worth officer admitted involvement in the physical struggle with Gibson inside the bar, which ended with Gibson on the ground as they arrested him. At some point, Gibson suffered a brain injury. "We've got a guy, alcohol intoxication," an officer could be heard saying in a recording. "Also, a bruised head." The big question is whether the injury happened inside with Fort Worth officers or outside with TABC agents. TABC agents said Gibson fell on concrete. Pictures show Gibson covered in vomit outside and his head bleeding. The sudden nausea, his family said, is evidence the injury happened inside the bar.

Somebody blew me a kiss! Send in a SWAT team!

Bar Raid Victim Calls For Prosecution

Rainbow Lounge bar raid victim Chad Gibson wants the cops involved in his arrest prosecuted and says the city is covering up the real details of the incident.

Although the city has asked the U.S. Attorney General to review the investigation, Gibson said he has lost all confidence in law enforcement. "You used excessive force and that's why I got hurt," he said. After seven days in the hospital, he’s not out of the woods. There is still a blood clot in his brain, behind his right eye. "I'm scared that something might happen," Gibson said. "It might start bleeding." Gibson said the city and officers have pointed the blame in the wrong direction. "They have blamed it on me, that I was drunk [and] that I hit my head," he said. "I groped the officer. I did this. I did that. You know what, no ... Accept responsibility." Gibson said he is also frustrated at the city pointing the blame at the TABC. "Even if the Fort Worth Police didn't touch me, they watched it," he said. "They watched other people do that to me."

The Fort Worth police department is still interviewing eyewitnesses.

Ft. Worth Cops Suspend Bar Checks

Continuing to backpedal from their involvement in the raid of the Rainbow Lounge, the Fort Worth police department says they are suspending "bar checks" in conjunction with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission.

The announcement by Chief Halstead came four days after a raid at the Rainbow Lounge by six Fort Worth officers and two Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission agents left one patron hospitalized with a head injury. "I think it's an excellent first step," said Todd Camp, founder of Fort Worth's Q Cinema gay and lesbian film festival. "I'm glad to hear that both departments are conducting investigations. As a long-time resident of Fort Worth, I look forward to working with the police department to make sure something like this doesn't happen again."

Rainbow Lounge patron Chad Gibson, who suffered a head injury during what witnesses described as an unnecessarily rough arrest, is scheduled to be released from the hospital today. Fort Worth Police Chief Jeff Halstead has ordered multicultural training for his officers, probably with an eye towards coming civil lawsuits as an internal investigation of the raid continues.

Chad Gibson's Mom Speaks Out