07/02/2009
Agents on Desk Duty After Raid; Vigil Held at Fort Worth Gay Bar
As outrage across the nation grows, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission says two agents involved in the arrest of Chad Gibson, who sustained traumatic head injuries following a raid late Saturday night at the Rainbow Lounge in Fort Worth, Texas, have been placed on desk duty while an internal investigation is being conducted. ... A photo shows the TABC agents on top of him on the floor. No Fort Worth officers are visible. Witnesses also said there was a struggle after he was escorted outside the bar when at least one TABC agent tried to hold him down. Investigators are looking into the possibility Gibson's injury occurred when he fell outside the bar."
More than 200 people attended a vigil for Gibson outside the Rainbow Lounge last night. Footage of last night's vigil, AFTER THE JUMP...
And CBS11 reports: "State Senator Wendy Davis and State Representative Lon Burnam want an
investigation, too. In a joint statement they said, 'It is our hope
that an objective, outside investigation be made which would examine
internal investigation reports of both the Fort Worth Police Department
and the TABC, as well as eye witness accounts.'"
A group of private citizens is calling for an independent investigation.
While Gibson's condition is improving, doctors told him "he'd have headaches for two years."
Fort Worth Police Chief Jeff Halstead has used a classic "gay panic" excuse for the officers' roughness at the bar, saying he was "happy" with how it was handled: "Monday, police chief Jeff Halstead said the officers' actions are being investigated. However, he also said that officers that entered the bar during the scheduled inspection were touched inappropriately. 'You're touched and advanced in certain ways by people inside the bar, that's offensive,' he said. 'I'm happy with the restraint used when they were contacted like that.'"
But, "Rainbow Lounge
patrons said authorities grabbed people or shoved them onto the ground.
They have denied police claims that anyone groped or made lewd gestures
toward officers."
Following the outrage, Halstead is now adopting a different tone: "We’ve got to work together. Be patient, and you will see that this is just not lip service. I will meet with you wherever you want to meet. I will go to your restaurants, your house, we can eat barbecue, whatever you want to do. But we’ve got to talk. We will heal beyond this."
Here are more details from a public forum held on Tuesday night at Buzzbrews in Dallas.
Footage of last night's vigil, AFTER THE JUMP...
Posted 10:09 AM EST by Andy Towle in Crime, Dallas, Fort Worth, Gay Bar, News, Stonewall, Texas | Permalink
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FIRST: I AM NOT MAKING ANY EXCUSES FOR ANYONE!!!
'Gay Panic'?? MAYBE with a first time out rookie... with their partner preventing any further reaction. Tho... I'd think training would prepare an officer for any standard situation. I think a 'bar inspection' would be considered standard.
Seasoned officers? Any cop involved with this should be arrested for attempted murder.
The Chief should lose his badge.
Nothing should be coming out of his mouth other than, "This is not acceptable. This is not how our outfit operates. A full investigation is underway." And sound like he means it.
Posted by: JimmyD | Jul 2, 2009 10:24:52 AM
The other statement by Halstead which I find completely deplorable, was for the gay community "to take a deep breath and calm down."
This statement coupled with his gay panic defense shows just how much of a good ol' boys' club he's running down there. I liken this comment to Clayton Williams' saying "rape is like a rainstorm, you just have to sit back and enjoy it."
Time for Fort Worthers to demand a new police chief and time for Moncreif to start looking for a new one.
Posted by: jeremy | Jul 2, 2009 10:26:45 AM
Frankly, if I was in FW and I wasn't very prominent, I'd be terrified to contact the police department that is, rightly or wrongly, now perceived as going around targeting gay people for bashing.
Further, even his new tone is not all that good. It's lovely that he intends to hire a liason; it's a good first step, but "your restaurants" sounds a lot like a gay ghetto. "We will heal" seems to disregard the obvious observation that there is no "we" to heal. There are two distinct communities, Gay and Police, and they are discordant and divergent.
Posted by: Dave | Jul 2, 2009 10:47:03 AM
Not that I've ever experienced this personally, but I have heard that if someone touches you inappropriately and you don't welcome their advances, you simply move their hand away and say, "No, thank you," or "I'm really flattered but no, thank you," or "I'm a real police officer, this is not a costume."
Of course no such nonsensical thing happened with these lying reprehensible thugs. Try to imagine Chief Halsted's response if a gay police officer experienced 'straight panic' from inappropriate physical approaches from a bar full of women and began grabbing them, throwing them to the ground, pounding their heads and arresting them randomly.
I don't think it would be "take a deep breath and calm down."
Posted by: David D. | Jul 2, 2009 10:54:12 AM
"We can eat barbeque?"
How about some BBQ'd pig?
Posted by: RJ | Jul 2, 2009 10:56:07 AM
Chief Halstead:
A beginning to healing would be admitting to LIES told by you and yours -- do not try to rub them out. You fucking insult our community, then you want to hug it out? Hope you're wearing a knife-proof vest.
Hmm. You claimed the guy with the brain injuries was suffering from alcohol poisoning, not trauma. You claimed the officers were all groped, which is backed up by zero non-police witnesses. I am sure there's more. Dig deep.
Posted by: TikiHead | Jul 2, 2009 11:55:29 AM
"No Fort Worth officers are visible."
That is dead wrong, there were 2 TABC agents there that night, in tan uniforms. In the photo you can clearly see a man in a dark blue/black uniform holding him down with the two TABC officers in tan uniforms clearly visible, along with the hand of another person wearing bloodied rubber gloves over the victim.
Since there were at least 3 people involved, I would bet money on the bloody rubber glove wearing person being another officer and only two TABC officers that means the person in the dark blue/black uniform had to be FW Police, oh, and that also happens to be the color of their uniforms.
Posted by: John M | Jul 2, 2009 12:06:42 PM
Reposting from my SLOG comment:
You already talked and what came out of your mouth was offensive on many different levels, I have no further interest in discussing the issue with someone who would make statements like those in his official capacity.
I sent this letter today by email and intent on following up tomorrow with mailed copies:
to mike.moncrief, District3, District4, District5, District6
show details 5:56 PM (1 hour ago)
I know you all of you are well aware of the questionable actions of the Fort Worth Police in the Rainbow Lounge raids but I want to let you know that the statement that the Chief of Police made that the officers involved used restraint in only causing a skull fracture and brain damage in the victim is completely inappropriate and offensive, especially given that the investigation is not complete, the allegations of assault are unproven, the victim was not ticketed or charged for this alleged assault and almost killing a person is never an appropriate response to the nature of assault that is alleged.
The inconsistent, insensitive, inappropriate and premature statements that the Fort Worth Chief of Police has made has taken away all confidence I have in the ability of the Fort Worth Police to handle an internal investigation appropriately and fairly. I can not feel safe until a thorough outside investigation takes place into the entire incident and appropriate action is taken against the officers involved and the Chief of Police for the statements that he has made.
I have long enjoyed the culture and arts that Fort Worth has contributed to the surrounding communities, particularly Sundance Square, Bass Hall, and The Modern, it is with great regret to me that I feel unsafe returning to Fort Worth in the future but I can not do so either in good conscience or regard to my potential safety until appropriate action is taken to send a clear statement that statements like those of the Chief of Police and the actions of the officers involved will not be tolerated.
It is with great sadness that myself and many others not longer feel comfortable visiting your great city, but until this issue is resolved I will not be returning to Fort Worth, nor will many of my friends and fellow citizens of Dallas.
With Great Regret,
If he wishes to personally make an apology to me, I'd be happy to listen but there is nothing to discuss, no amount of apologizing, no matter how heart felt and genuine I think it might be absolves of the consequences of his statement, nor will make me feel comfortable returning to Fort Worth while he still holds a position of leadership with the Fort Worth Police.
Posted by: John M | Jul 2, 2009 12:09:46 PM
@ JOHN M
Well said, and very cogent. You didn't leave the prick Halstead any wiggling (or should I say slithering) room.
Posted by: MikeMick | Jul 2, 2009 12:29:38 PM
This is an outrage! What prompted this so called 'inspection"? I t seems to me that this place may have been targeted by a homophobic police force. Sadly, many law enforcement agencies around the country have deeply intrenched atmospheres of homophobia. One can only hope that after a thorough independent investigation, a concerted effort will be made to improve relations between the police and the GLBTG community in FW. I suggest a series of town hall type meetings between members of the FWPD&the GLBTG to find common ground and better communication to insure that tragic incidents like this don't happen again.
Posted by: robert ryan | Jul 2, 2009 4:07:47 PM
UNACCEPTABLE, CHIEF HALSTEAD! You are a lying sack of shit who is now backtracking since the media has started to scrutinize your department.
By the way, at first glance, I assumed you were a gay spokesman. You have that "I suck dick" look about you.
Posted by: joe | Jul 2, 2009 6:48:51 PM
TABC is an organization in Texas that regulates and oversees all alcohol sales in Texas. It is ridiculous, they are very strict and operate under a 1950s mentality. If you have a chance to rad up on them you can see what a stronghold they have here. However, I've been through several TABC raids at predominately heterosexual establishments and it has NEVER come to this. The stories coming out of Fort Worth are straight from a scary page in gay history... only it is the present time.
I've never heard of TABC behaving in a homophobic manner, mostly they hate everyone equally. I'm really saddened by this and truly hope nothing like this occurs again.
Thank you to all of the news organizations who have actually talked about this story, there was a time when something like this would happen and no one over 30 miles away would know about it.
Posted by: dallas gay | Jul 3, 2009 1:00:46 AM
given the gates coverage, where is the msm's coverage of this?
Posted by: Rick | Jul 26, 2009 10:07:28 AM
We really have to put our foot down on what will not be tolerated. Finally, a police chief who recognizes a department's need for consequences on such actions. Only if that happens will it deter future events from escalating in like manner.
Posted by: jameski | Jul 26, 2009 12:43:40 PM