More details followed:
"At Spruill's, a police officer working as a security guard Sept. 24 wounded a man who had just shot another man on the club's parking lot. Then on Oct. 11, two St. Louis police officers working security there wounded four men outside the club after seeing them standing over another man and shooting him...Obviously, this is disturbing news for jazz fans and city residents alike. But it's worth noting that neither of the incidents cited in the article happened on a Saturday, when jazz is featured at the club. Also, I'm not at all sure that a state liquor control bureaucrat from Jefferson City is the best person to rely upon to make decisions about the safety of St. Louis citizens and the fate of St. Louis businesses, especially if he relies on dubious crime studies and media hype for information about our city.
At Spruill's, we've arrested guys who were intoxicated and had guns, and there have been several shootings around there."
Pete Lobdell, supervisor for the Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control, in Jefferson City, will be at the Wainwright Building downtown on Friday to conduct a hearing regarding Spruill's license. Lobdell's St. Louis office investigators have called Spruill's "a disorderly house," he said.
"They want a severe suspension if not a revocation," Lobdell said. "It's a big problem. "I've read where St. Louis has been named a very unsafe city, and I have to protect the public safety of St. Louis."
In any event, here's hoping that Spruill's owners, the police and the liquor control officials can get this sorted out and find a way to keep Spruill's safe for all so that Akins can continue to perform in his accustomed venue.
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