The city of Blue Island temporarily shut down a bar following what officials are calling a “violent incident” outside the establishment over the weekend.
Harry’s Long Bar, 13115 S. Western Ave., is under a seven-day emergency closure order after a fight involving patrons spilled onto the street, said City Administrator Thomas Wogan.
The city plans to meet with the bar’s owners Tuesday to discuss security and safety measures before allowing the establishment to reopen, Wogan said.
“Blue Island treats all businesses and business owners equally. If you have an establishment in our community, especially an establishment that serves liquor, you have an obligation to run a safe and secure business,” Mayor Fred Bilotto wrote in a statement. “The City will follow the same protocol as we have with previous incidents. What we will not tolerate is businesses that make our City less safe.”
Blue Island police were sent to the bar Sunday after multiple patrons became involved in a fight or “mob-like altercation” on the sidewalk and street adjacent to the establishment, according to the emergency closure order.
A patron leaving the bar was struck in the back and their purse stolen, the order states. By the time police were notified and able to respond, the people engaged in the fight had left.
Wogan said police dispersed the crowd and no arrests were made.
The bar’s owner, Cyprus Long Bar, did not report the disturbance to police, the order states. City ordinance requires business owners with a liquor license to report any incident involving undue noise, disturbances, breaches of the peace, unusual conduct or individuals carrying firearms, knives, bludgeons or deadly weapons, according to the order.
The bar’s temporary closure went into effect at 5 p.m. Monday and ends April 28, the order states.
Owners of Cyprus Long Bar could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
Anytime an establishment with a liquor license has an incident that requires a police response, the city’s protocol is to enforce a temporary closure, Wogan said. The city then meets with the owners to discuss safety measures aimed at preventing problems, he said.
The city followed the same protocol with two other Blue Island bars after a shooting led to the closure of The Vault and Raven’s Place, Wogan said.
In 2023, a judge upheld the city’s decision to keep The Vault and Raven’s Place closed after a woman fired a gun outside the Double Play Saloon on New Year’s Eve.
Kenya Walton, of Chicago, was charged with reckless discharge of a firearm and later pleaded guilty, receiving a reduced sentence of two years’ probation and 50 hours of community service. Although the shooting did not occur at either bar, Walton told police she left The Vault with her friends and “made a dumb decision” to fire her gun into the air. The judge determined the bar owner should have implemented better security measures to protect patrons.
Owner Dushone Thomas and The Vault’s manager, Raymond Thomas, filed a federal lawsuit accusing the city of discrimination, alleging the businesses were treated unfairly because they are Black-owned, according to the amended complaint filed in December.
That case is still pending, with both parties ordered to provide updates to the court by May 2, court records show.
At a February hearing, a federal judge ordered the city to turn over requested electronic records by May 1, court records show. The city has claimed difficulties in producing the documents due to a ransomware attack and outdated information technology systems.
However, the information was originally requested 18 months earlier, and the court had already ordered its release in April 2024, court records show. If the city fails to comply by the May 1 deadline, it will face a fine of $1,000 for each day of noncompliance, records show.
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