After an attempt to shut down the building failed, The District says an event held over the weekend went on with "no major incidents."
The District Management in a release says that they are grateful for the Lafayette Police Department's assistance the night of Saturday, August 14. Owner Danny Smith says that Police Chief Thomas Glover was on hand to witness how the night's events unfolded.
"Dozens of shots were fired in rapid succession; this is indicative of a fully automatic or semiautomatic weapon being discharged," Glover wrote. "Chaos erupted due to the large number of patrons who were in the parking lot. The gunfire resulted in one fatality with another individual injured. A Lafayette Police officer was also fired upon."
Glover cited a city ordinance that allows police to shut down a business if it poses an "imminent danger to the health, safety and welfare of the public" and "no other reasonable steps are available to mitigate the danger."
The business would have closed Saturday beginning at 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday.
The District went to court on the matter and had a temporary restraining order put in place against the police and the location remained open.
Smith says on Saturday night, a concert was held at the location and no major incidents occurred.
"We would like to thank Chief Thomas Glover for his personal presence at the venue allowing him to personally witness that no “imminent” dangers, as stated by ordinance, exists in the club," they say.
In a statement on Saturday, The District said they would like to open a dialogue with Lafayette Consolidate Government officials and the Lafayette Police Department to find better ways to protect patrons and the surrounding community.
" Going forward we welcome the opportunity to continue to conduct business in a way that is respectful to all involved and only ask that we receive the same treatment as every other business inside the City of Lafayette," they say.
The District is paying for an increase in officers at their events, which is now at 12.
"We will continue to provide funding for off duty officers to be present at our business in keeping the spirit of cooperation with Lafayette Consolidated Government," Smith writes.
On Monday, August 9, State Police identified the man who was shot and killed outside The District.
22-year-old Dashawn Batiste was shot Sunday morning August 8, outside the event center located on Johnston Street. KATC spoke with several neighbors in the area, and many said they heard several gunshots.
One woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said it sounded like fireworks.
According to police, an officer working as security was shot at as he approached a group of people. The officer then shot back.
Residents in the area say that they have had issues with noise and disturbances, many of which are reoccurring. Read more here
The District says that they have always tried to "be good neighbors and community members." In their statement they say they had taken steps to alleviate the noise by sound proofing the building and providing more off duty police officers to work security.
Management says that they have done more than any other establishment inside the City of Lafayette to reach that goal.
See The District's Full statement below:
The District Management would like to express its gratitude to the officers of Lafayette Police Department for their assistance Saturday night. As has been widely reported a concert was held at the location and no major incidents occurred.
Additionally we would like to thank Chief Thomas Glover for his personal presence at the venue allowing him to personally witness that no “imminent” dangers, as stated by ordinance, exists in the club. Going forward we welcome the opportunity to continue to conduct business in a way that is respectful to all involved and only ask that we receive the same treatment as every other business inside the City of Lafayette.
We will continue to provide funding for off duty officers to be present at our business in keeping the spirit of cooperation with Lafayette Consolidated Government. As previously stated we welcome and request an open dialogue with Chief Glover and LCG administration on how we can keep both the patrons of our establishment and our community as a whole free from violence.
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