Smith & Wollensky staff detains assault suspects again

Two incidents in March at House of Blues

12-Apr-12 – A 54-year-old man who poured beer on customers and threw a bottle at a manager outside Smith & Wollensky in River North last month was arrested and charged with assault. It happened on March 17 at about 10:30 p.m. After the man poured the beer, a manager at the restaurant approached and asked him to leave the area. That is when he threw a beer bottle at the manager but missed, then tried to hit him with his fist. The man was detained until police arrived.

One week later, a man who had been asked to leave the area outside Smith & Wollensky returned and assaulted employees of the restaurant. On the evening of March 24, a 27-year-old Hispanic man who lives west of the Loop, and was suspected of using alcohol, became verbally abusive to staff on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant’s main entrance.

Police were called and the man was told to leave, which he did but he came back at about 11:30 p.m. and began to physically fight with employees. He struck the right ear of a 27-year-old man, causing a minor cut. The suspect himself was bruised on the forehead in the scuffle but all of the injuries were minor. Police returned within minutes and found the man, according to the CPD report, “pinned on the ground by management.” He was taken to 18th district police headquarters, charged with battery and criminal trespass, and given a May 2 court date.

(Left) Smith & Wollensky from across North State Street (2009 photo).

In December, a 50-year-old man from the south side of Chicago was charged with battery after an incident at Smith & Wollensky on the day before Christmas. At about 12:15 p.m., the man entered the restaurant and demanded that an employee buy him a beer. When asked to leave, the unidentified black male struck the employee in the face with the back of his right hand. Employees detained him until police arrived.

Couple detained at HOB after throwing food

A man and woman in their late 40s were taken into custody after causing a disturbance at House of Blues in March. On March 10, at about 7 p.m., one of them threw “a food item” at a waitress, according to the police report. They were asked to leave numerous times by a manager and HOB security personnel, including one who was an off-duty police officer with a badge around his neck. As they were being forcibly escorted to the front door, the man threw punches at security officers while the woman attacked an officer from behind. They were held for police. Injuries, mostly cuts and bruises, were reportedly minor.

On March 15, two women in their 20s got into a fight at House of Blues at about 3 a.m. A 29-year-old woman says she “had words” with a 24-year-old woman, then turned away and felt something strike her in the back of her head. The two women fought until separated by security personnel and removed from the club. Both reported minor injuries.