Police are still investigating the early morning bar brawl at Stone Canyon Saloon that occurred Friday, said Lt. Dean Sullivan, the Fort Worth Police Department public information officer.Sullivan said no arrests were made, and there is no mention in the official reports he had read that Taser stun guns were used.
However, Sullivan said, “The entire incident is under review.”
According to the police report, officers came at the request of an off-duty officer who was working part time at the club, to help him break up a fight.
“He saw a large fight with as many as 50 to 60 individuals fighting,” Sullivan said.
The report went on to say that two officers suffered minor injuries in the fight.
Sullivan said one officer was hospitalized.
“Officer D. Martinez was struck with a flying beer bottle to he left forehead,” Sullivan said.
The reports Sullivan read listed six officers and the bar owner and included no witness statements, he said.
“It is not uncommon, during a large scale altercation, such as a bar fight, for witnesses to flee the area,” Sullivan said.
Aaron Keen, general manager for Stone Canyon, said he thought the police did a good job and used the Tasers in a professional manner.
“I take full responsibility if any employees got Tased,” said Keen, a 2005 TCU graduate. “Officers didn’t recognize me or my staff, which was my fault for not having my employees properly attired with staff shirts.”
Keen said this was the first fight he had seen since taking over as general manager in January and said the club plans to take more security precautions.
“We have more security staff, another cop on staff and we’ll be more strict on the dress code,” Keen said.
At least one TCU football player was working security for the club and said earlier this week that police shot him and several others with Tasers.
The player, junior wide receiver Michael DePriest, said, “The general manager got Tased, and even the owner almost got Tased. I got Tased, too.”
DePriest said club staff had the fight almost under control when police arrived and exacerbated the situation.
“People got hysterical. It was like a raid, and everybody was a victim. I don’t blame them, but I thought the situation could have been handled better,” DePriest said.
Sullivan said no one had filed a complaint about the use of Tasers or excessive force by police at the club but said if anyone came forward then the Fort Worth Police Department would have 150 days to investigate and take disciplinary action.