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Atlanta Eagle Gay Bar Lawsuit Grows


ATLANTA EAGLE BAR X390 (COURTESY) | ADVOCATE.COM

Amendments were added Wednesday to the federal lawsuit that pits the Atlanta Eagle Bar against the city’s police department over a raid at the establishment last September.

According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution,“Thirty-one Atlanta police officers have been added to a federal lawsuit that complains patrons of a gay nightclub were ordered to lie on the Atlanta Eagle Bar floor, on spilled beer and broken glass, while enduring insults about their homosexuality.

“The suit, originally filed in November, was expanded Wednesday to include six more bar employees and contractors, bringing the total to 28 people who say they were victimized during the highly publicized raid on Sept. 10.”

Last week an Atlanta Eagle owner and two dancers were found not guilty of violating city ordinances in the run-up to the raid. Charges against eight other people were dropped.

The Journal-Constitution also reported that the Citizen Review Board continues to question police officers in a separate investigation.

“According to Cristina Beamud, executive director of the board, 11 officers have appeared or agreed to appear to answer the board's questions about the Eagle Bar raid. Beamud said only two of them have declined to answer some questions, claiming their constitutional protection from self-incrimination.”

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Reader Comments
  • Name: Uncle Al
    Date posted: 3/20/2010 11:52:46 PM
    Hometown: Long Beach

    Comment:

    To Davlin Court - That bar was on Rooseveldt Rd. in Oak Park, just outside of Chicago. So your event is correct, but it was the Oak Park PD & FD. that did those things.

  • Name: Davlin Court
    Date posted: 3/20/2010 11:41:01 PM
    Hometown: Long Beach

    Comment:

    Is this Stonewall II. ? This is terrifying. I remember early 70's when Chicago police & fire dept raided bars and lined patrons on the side walks during freezing winter nights to count and recount them in order to "check whether fire code maximum occupancy were being violated". No violation - just stand ouside for an hour in a tee shirt, freeze, and get called names. NEVER AGAIN! P.S. Is there anyone as old as I that still remembers this?

  • Name: Stan James
    Date posted: 3/20/2010 12:50:09 AM
    Hometown: Baltimore

    Comment:

    Sounds like the bad old days in San Fran, and the Stonewall Riots. It would be nice to see these brutal cops put in jail, sharing a cell with equally brutal guys named spike, bigD, etc. Cruel and Unusual punishment, or punishment that fits the crime? Deliver a message to these cops and their admirers

  • Name: Zachary
    Date posted: 3/19/2010 11:09:18 PM
    Hometown: Atlanta

    Comment:

    Correction. Make that Pamela Stanley.

  • Name: Zachary
    Date posted: 3/19/2010 10:48:22 PM
    Hometown: Atlanta

    Comment:

    Nothing to hide." These bad boy cops have a ton of lies to hide. I sure hope the Atlanta Eagle DJ is playing 'Coming Out of Hiding' by Hazell Dean at least every hour. I like that song. It's an oldie but it's a goodie.

  • Name: Zachary
    Date posted: 3/19/2010 10:17:00 PM
    Hometown: Atlanta

    Comment:

    Too many Atlanta policeman have criminal records. So the city of Atlanta is being protected by a somewhat significant percentage of bad boy cops. Why would a few officers give the signal on this particular night to go ahead with a very aggressive raid comprising 48 officers loaded for bear, IN A BEAR LEATHER BAR of all places, if nude dancing, sex, or illegal drug activity were not taking place? The police had been casing the Eagle for some time allegedly witnessing sex and "illegal" activity. If they had the concrete evidence, why didn't the police just storm the bar on the nights they allegedly had the goods. I hope all of the cops are fired. And they most likely won't find jobs for a long time. Goodbye nice house. Hello YMCA. Bad boy cops, it's fun to stay at the YMCA. You can get a good meal and get yourself clean. And if the bad boy cops really want to see nude men, the YMCA is the perfect place.

  • Name: Roger Burr
    Date posted: 3/19/2010 7:13:57 PM
    Hometown: Marble Hill

    Comment:

    They're pleading the 5th??!! That alone speaks to their guilt! If you've done nothing wrong; you have nothing to hide..

  • Name: Sandy Rhodes
    Date posted: 3/19/2010 2:36:10 PM
    Hometown: Pebble Beach

    Comment:

    Kinda ironic - how cops always whine about criminals excercising their right to be silent - and yet THEY are now doing the same thing. Hypocrisy is really a repugnant thing, no?

  • Name: Paula
    Date posted: 3/19/2010 2:04:37 PM
    Hometown: New Haven, CT

    Comment:

    I bet Atlanta will never raid again! When does the trial start? Let's televise it.

  • Name: Joy
    Date posted: 3/19/2010 11:06:44 AM
    Hometown: Jacksonville, FL

    Comment:

    In general, the police are one of the largest groups of homophobes plaguing the entire country. They are nothing less than uniformed bigots with guns and a false sense of power. For years I've overheard conversations amongst them in cafes and restaurants bashing gays and anyone effiminate and the news reports validating this behavior is common knowledge. What disgusts me most is the fact that WE (the LGBT community) are providing their paychecks. If I, as a waiter, treated my patrons in the same manner, I'd be fired and kicked out on the street so fast I wouldn't have time to blink. Until action is taken at the top, these minions will continue to abuse the system and potentially cause permanent damage such as that done to Atlanta Eagle.



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