UPDATE 2/19/13 @ 12:40 p.m.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- A downtown nightclub no longer has a liquor license.
Gary "Gig" Robinson with the West Virgina Alcohol Beverage Control Administration tells WSAZ.com Janet Amores surrendered her bar's ABCA license on Friday.
The liquor license was suspended last month after a stabbing and several other violent fights.
The city of Charleston was also in the process of revoking the club's business license, according to officials.
Amores has declined comment.
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The current suspension of Club Impulse's liquor license was extended for another 10 days, according to a spokesperson with the West Virgina Alcohol Beverage Control Administration. The extension was filed on Wednesday.
Gary "Gig" Robinson tells WSAZ.com the agency needed more time to finish its investigation.
The ABCA launched its investigation after several incidents at the bar on Capitol Street, including a stabbing that happened earlier this month. Club Impulse has also been the scene of two large fights in recent months that spilled out onto Capitol Street. During one of those fights, a nearby business was damaged.
Charleston Mayor Danny Jones announced last week the city is looking to revoke the club's business license.
In a letter sent to the nightclub's owner, Janet Amores, the city states during the approval process the board of zoning was under the impression she was opening "a really upscale big city type nightclub" and it would cater to professionals looking for early evening dancing and entertainment after dinner.
Since then, there have been multiple complaints made to and investigations conducted by the WVABCA, according to the letter.
The letter also states, "The history of incidents involving Impulse and its patrons evidences a pattern and practice of Impulse's unwillingness or inability to provide adequate security and oversight of its premises and patrons and a lack of restraint when serving patrons alcohol and/or in monitoring levels of intoxication. It is also notable that Impulse is not the upscale, professional and safe environment that it was represented to be when the conditional use permit was applied for and granted."
The owner can appeal the revocation to the Charleston Board of Zoning within 30 days.
Amores has declined comment.
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Aris Hairston turned himself in to Charleston officers then. He is charged with malicious wounding.
Investigators believe Hairston is the one who stabbed a UC football player at Club Impulse early Sunday morning.
Police initially arrested someone else; they told us Thursday night they had the wrong person.
Charleston Police now say Roland Willis was not involved in the stabbing of 18-year-old Kevin Clemens.
The new suspect is Aris Hairston. Police say he and Willis look similar. Chief Brent Webster says four separate people identified Willis in four different police lineups.
Hairston is still at large.
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Mayor Danny Jones held a news conference Thursday to announce that the city of Charleston is revoking the business license of Impulse Nightclub on Capitol Street.
This announcement comes just days after the West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Administration suspended the liquor license for Club Impulse for at least 10 days.
The ABCA made that decision after several incidents at the bar, including a stabbing that happened early Sunday morning.
Police say Roland William Willis II, 22, of Charleston, stabbed Kevin Clemens, 18, of Pittsburgh, at least three times outside of the nightclub.
Club Impulse has also been the scene of two large fights in recent months that spilled out onto Capitol Street. During one of those fights, a nearby business was damaged.
In a letter sent to the nightclub's owner, Janet Amores, the city states during the approval process the board of zoning was under the impression she was opening "a really upscale big city type nightclub" and it would cater to professionals looking for early evening dancing and entertainment after dinner.
Since then, there have been multiple complaints made to and investigations conducted by the WVABCA, according to the letter.
The letter also states "The history of incidents involving Impulse and its patrons evidences a pattern and practice of Impulse's unwillingness or inability to provide adequate security and oversight of its premises and patrons and a lack of restraint when serving patrons alcohol and/or in monitoring levels of intoxication. It is also notable that Impulse is not the upscale, professional and safe environment that it was represented to be when the conditional use permit was applied for and granted."
The shutdown move was met with mixed reactions from folks on Capitol Street.
"I think [the club] could be a concern for a lot of people in the area because it attracts an unsavory crowd." Bobby Eberlander said.
Allan Bias also weighed in. "I think the people that are misbehaving should be brought to justice...the business doesn't need to suffer as long it's being responsible," he said.
But Charleston Police Chief Brent Webster said that simply wasn't the case.
"It does not appear that the Impulse management is taking the extra steps to be a good neighbor, and really it appears that they're enabling from the top," he said.
The owner can appeal the revocation to the Charleston Board of Zoning within 30 days.
Keep clicking on WSAZ.com for the latest information.
Mayor Danny Jones plans to talk about the future of Club Impulse.
This announcement comes just days after the West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Administration suspended the liquor license for Club Impulse for at least 10 days.
The ABCA made that decision after several incidents at the bar, including a stabbing that happened early Sunday morning.
Police say Roland William Willis, II, 22, of Charleston, stabbed Kevin Clemens, 18, of Pittsburgh, at least three times outside of the nightclub.
Club Impulse has also been the scene of two large fights in recent months that spilled out onto Capitol Street. During one of those fights, a nearby business was damaged.
We will have a crew at the news conference at 2:30 p.m. Keep clicking on WSAZ.com for the latest information.
Roland William Willis, II, 22, of Charleston, was arrested late Monday night by the Charleston Police Criminal Investigations Division.
Willis was arraigned by video at the Kanawha County Courthouse in Charleston. He is charged with three counts of malicious wounding.
According to the criminal complaint, Kevin Clemens, 18, of Pittsburgh, was stabbed at least three times about 3 a.m. Sunday during an incident that started at Club Impulse at 205 Capitol Street.
Clemens was seriously hurt and taken to CAMC General where he had to be rushed to surgery for a laceration to his liver, according to the complaint. As of Tuesday, Clemens is still listed under evaluation.
Clemens told investigators the two bumped into each other while inside the nightclub. However, when Clemens asked Willis why he bumped into him, Willis called him a name, according to police.
Investigators say that's when the incident continued to process outside the nightclub where a surveillance camera caught the two fighting on the sidewalk.
According to the criminal complaint, police used Facebook to identify and arrest Willis.
During Willis' arraignment the magistrate set his bond at $50,000 cash only.
Willis is scheduled to be back in court on February 6 for his preliminary hearing.
Meanwhile, the Alcohol Beverage Control Administration has suspended the liquor license for Club Impulse for at least 10 days after this incident.
Club Impulse has seen its share of violence. Last April, a fight involving 20 to 30 people erupted outside the club, breaking windows of a nearby business. In 2011, a YouTube video shows another large fight that spilled out onto Capitol Street.
The West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Administration says they’re working with police and are taking this weekend’s incident very seriously.
"It's a dollar happy group of people that are running a club that sells alcohol to too many people at one time," said Charleston Mayor Danny Jones.
Keep clicking on WSAZ.com for the latest information.
Roland William Willis, II, 22, of Charleston, was arrested late Monday night by the Charleston Police Criminal Investigations Division.
According to the criminal complaint, Kevin Clemens, 18, of Pittsburgh, was stabbed at least three times about 3 a.m. Sunday during an incident that started at Club Impulse at 205 Capitol Street.
Clemens was seriously hurt and taken to CAMC General where he had to be rushed to surgery for a laceration to his liver, according to the complaint.
Clemens told investigators the two bumped into each other while inside the nightclub. However, when Clemens asked Willis why he bumped into him, Willis called him a name, according to police.
Investigators say that's when the incident continued to process outside the nightclub where a surveillance camera caught the two fighting on the sidewalk.
According to the criminal complaint, police used Facebook to identify and arrest Willis.
Willis was charged with three counts of malicious wounding. He's currently in the South Central Regional Jail.
Meanwhile, the Alcohol Beverage Control Administration has suspended the liquor license for Club Impulse for at least 10 days after this incident.
Club Impulse has seen its share of violence. Last April, a fight involving 20 to 30 people erupted outside the club, breaking windows of a nearby business. In 2011, a YouTube video shows another large fight that spilled out onto Capitol Street.
The West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Administration says they’re working with police and are taking this weekend’s incident very seriously.
"It's a dollar happy group of people that are running a club that sells alcohol to too many people at one time," said Charleston Mayor Danny Jones.
Keep clicking on WSAZ.com for the latest information.
Roland William Willis, II, 22, was taken into custody late Monday night by the Charleston Police Criminal Investigations Division.
Police say Willis stabbed Kevin Clemens, 18, of Pittsburgh, as the two exited the club early Sunday morning.
Willis is charged with malicious wounding. He is in South Central Regional Jail.
On Monday, the Alcohol Beverage Control Administration suspended the liquor license for Club Impulse for at least 10 days.
"It's a dollar happy group of people that are running a club that sells alcohol to too many people at one time," said Charleston Mayor Danny Jones.
Club Impulse has seen its share of violence. Last April, a fight involving 20 to 30 people erupted outside the club, breaking windows of a nearby business. In 2011, a YouTube video shows another large fight that spilled out onto Capitol Street.
"We're going to move -- it's put downtown in jeopardy and it's become a breeding ground for violence," said Mayor Jones.
This past weekend, violence struck again as 18-year old Kevin Clemens, a linebacker on the University of Charleston’s football team was stabbed in the stomach on his way out of the club.
"Obviously, when something like this happens it affects everybody and we all wish him the best, we all want him to get back on his feet," said Scott Castleman, director of communications at the University of Charleston.
Now, the West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Administration says they’re working with police and are taking this weekend’s incident very seriously.
"We keep thinking that it'll go away, that the people will wise up and run it the way they should but we have reached the end of the line now," said Mayor Jones.
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Investigators say Kevin Clemens, 18, of Pittsburgh, was stabbed several times in the abdomen by another man as they were exiting the club Impulse on Capitol Street.
They say the men had bumped into each other while dancing and began an argument that escalated.
Clemens was rushed to the hospital by ambulance and is expected to make a full recovery.
Police say it's one of many times they've responded to a serious incident at the club.
"It attracts a lot of attention from law enforcement, and it detracts what we would like to be able to do for the citizens of Charleston at that time of night," Lt. Steve Cooper said.
Edward Smith says he's a regular patron on Capitol Street and says the violence doesn't affect his decision to come out and enjoy nightlife downtown.
"It's a club environment, and you try to dissuade all the bad things, but it happens," he said.
Police are still looking for the suspect in Sunday morning's stabbing. They say he was a young man wearing a white jacket.
If you have any information, call Charleston Police at 304-348-6480.
Keep clicking WSAZ.com for the latest information.
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