Speyer owner says nightclub was following coronavirus occupancy rules

At around 12:30 p.m. Sunday, officers were dispatched to the nightclub at 1720 Main St. in downtown Houston, in reference to reports of a large rally. Upon arrival, the units observed around 200 people lining up outside the club. In addition to the crowds outside, the club had exceeded its capacity inside, Houston police said.

Truesdell said the club exceeded capacity after customers outside rushed to an unsupervised back door.

The club were hosting an event dubbed “All Black Affair” on Saturday night, according to the club’s website. A poster for the event listed Larry Morrow, Trey Songz, Kenny Burns and Fabolous as some of the notable people expected to appear at the event. Officers said some event attendees traveled from San Antonio and New Orleans to attend.

“When a few artists arrived, people behind them, their entourage and just people on the street bombed the doors and the fire marshal was in the office with us,” Truesdell said.

Truesdell said the fire marshal was present to make sure the club did not exceed its allotted occupation. The building has a maximum capacity of 1,200 people, Truesdell said. Under Governor Abbott’s Executive Order GA-32, the club is allowed to be open to 50% of its maximum capacity – 600 patrons. Truesdell added that after crowds rushed to a back door, club security was unable to keep track of the number of people inside the building.

He said at that point the fire marshal made the decision to shut the club down overnight.

“She wasn’t comfortable with the number of people who had bombed the door and entered,” Truesdell said. “We didn’t have an exact count of it, exactly, because when it arrived we had a correct count. Our tally was consistent with what was needed when she was there. We would never have been bombed if we had put Harris County Sheriffs to work at night.

To stop the crowds, Truesdell said, security put up a barricade at the gate. This violated the fire code, as it limited the number of safety exits available in an emergency.

“It didn’t provide a safe exit for people to leave the club,” Truesdell said. “This is why we were closed.”

Truesdell said the club have been cited for the violation.

The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission said in a prepared statement Monday that it was “to investigate the events that took place at Club Spire this weekend. If the investigation reveals evidence of a violation, the agency could impose a penalty as specified in GA-32. Until then, we will continue to work with our local partners in the City of Houston and Harris County to ensure the safety of all residents and visitors. “

Spire had previously been suspended for violations of the governor’s decree, according to the agency:

• First suspension – July 1-9, 2020

• Second suspension – October 20-23, 2020

Enforcement of occupancy restrictions has remained a tense topic since their implementation, with some questioning whether authorities are enforcing the rules.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said on Monday he was not just focusing on closing a facility, but would if it encouraged events that could lead to the spread of COVID-19.

Turner added that the city would be monitoring establishments in the area more closely.

“I want people to know, the different clubs and bars, Washington Avenue – you are warned,” Turner said. “I tell you in advance.”

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office did not respond to a request for comment.