The state Alcohol Beverage Control Administration temporarily shut down the Park Place bar on Charleston's West Side Tuesday after city police conducted a drug raid earlier that evening.
The raid came at about 7 p.m. after a months-long drug investigation and involved 40 Charleston police officers, according to Lt. Steve Cooper, chief of detectives.
"We consider Park Place Bar to be ground zero for the drug trade and for much of the culture of crime and violence that has plagued that area of the West Side for years," Cooper said.
The investigation suggested there have been several of instances of buying and selling drugs both within and outside the bar, which sits across the street from a school bus stop, said Maryclaire Akers, Kanawha County assistant prosecutor.
"Within the last 12 to 24 months it became evident Park Place Bar was an area of criminal activity," Akers said. "The raid on the Park Place Bar tonight came as a result of a long-term investigation by the Charleston Police Department due to multiple complaints regarding the bar, multiple shootings in close proximity to the bar and multiple overdoses in the area."
Several people, including the bar's owner Steve Fisher and bar manager Christine Besch, were in custody Tuesday night, according to Akers. It was not immediately clear Tuesday night what, if any, charges would be filed.
Another man also was arrested and was expected to be arraigned late Tuesday night for charges of intent to deliver, Akers said.
Akers said many more warrants were going to be served to individuals, and several more arrests were expected in coming days.
The Special Enforcement Unit led the raid, and throughout the investigation, officers were advised by Akers, Cooper said.
An investigator from the ABCA was present for the raid. Akers said she could not comment on what the agency's course of action would be following Tuesday's events, but she's hopeful whatever it is it will keep the bar closed.