Crime & Safety

Around the Creek: Summary of 911 Tapes Appear to Confirm Police Account of Downtown Bar Violence

More news, useful tidbits and random tales of what's happening in and around Walnut Creek.

A report of bar activity on the night and early morning of October 1 and 2 confirms Walnut Creek police accounts that they received calls or personally witnessed separate fights at three downtown establishments that altogether would involve a total of more than 50 combatants. 

The owners of two bars where the fights occurred insisted in an interview with a local TV station, a few days after the fights, that police were exaggerating the extent of the violence.  

Tony Dudum, the owner of told CBS5 news that "we never had any fight and no punches were thrown." The owners of Vice Ultra Lounge said that only two people were fighting at their Arroyo Way Club--not the 30 police claimed--and that the club's security staff had the situation under control.

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Walnut Creek Police Chief Joel Bryden disputed the bar owners claims, saying "We have evidence to the contrary." 

Walnut Creek Patch asked to obtain copies of the 911 calls made to police during the violence.  Walnut Creek Police turned down this public records act request, arguing that state law allows them to deny release of investigatory records unless it would be to the victim or the crime or the victim's representative. 

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Instead, police provided a summary report of the 911 calls made between 11:29 p.m. Friday, October 1 and 3:54 a.m. Saturday October 2. 

The summary says that police received a call at 11:29 p.m. from a person who said that a physical fight involving six people was taking place inside 1515 on North Main Street. Officers say that when they arrived, they found a group of uncooperative people outside, so officers had a difficult time sorting out what was happening or what had occurred inside.  

But officers arrested three West Contra Costa County men on suspicion of being under the influence of alcohol and took them to County Jail for booking.  Eight officers responded to this call. 

At 1:15 a.m., police received word that a fight had broken out at Vice Ultra Lounge on Arroyo Way. An officer saw up to 30 people both inside and outside the bar fighting. All 16 officers on duty rushed to the scene to quell the violence. Police arrested three Police arrested three men  on suspicion of fighting in public and being drunk in public. 

At 1:41 a.m police received two separate calls about a fight involving 15 people taking place outside Shiro Restaurant Lounge at Giamonna Drive and North Main Street. Police said they were still tied up with the situation at Vice Ultra Lounge and could not respond immediately. However, dispatch records show that an officer was on scene within about two minutes of the first call. 

The fight outside Shiro among a large group of men, and the beating of one who was taken to the hospital, was recorded on someone's iPhone. Police are still looking for suspects in the attack on the injured man. The video showed a group of men punching and kicking the victim multiple times while he is on the ground. You can view the video with our prior coverage of these fights. The video contain images and graphic language that some may find offensive. 

 


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