On Wednesday, the East Atlanta Patch reported on a raid that occurred Wednesday morning. Williams was arrested and the bar was cited for: operating outside allowed hours of operation, selling alcohol without a license, storing alcohol without a license, hours of operations.
From the APD report on the Wednesday investigation provided to GA Voice:
On 6-12-2013 around 7:15am officers were dispatched to 543 Flat Shoals Ave regarding the Asylum lounge being open after hours. Upon arrivalofficers approached the front door of the location and observed people inside sitting at a booth with drinks on their table. Officers knocked on the door and the people at the table got up, went to the back door and fled on foot.
Officers continued to knock on the door and the manager finally came to the door and opened it. Officers asked the manager for his business license and he provided his business license and an expired permit to serve alcohol.
Officers contacted APD license and permits and confirmed that the business had no permit to serve alcohol. Inside the location officers found evidence that alcohol was being served and the lounge was operating after hours. The manager, Couri Williams was placed under arrest and transported to Atlanta City Jail.
The key witness that led to the raid was Stephanie Ramage, a former reporter who was hand-picked by Mayor Kasim Reed to serve as the newly minted position of Citizens’ Advocate. She told police that Williams approached her table at the Midway Pub late Sunday where she was sitting with an off-duty police officer and a member of the neighborhood association and asked to come over to his bar where the party started at 2:30 a.m. but “would really be rollin’ around 4” according to the police report.
From the June 9 police report:
[Williams] then appeared and stated he was the manager and he thought the club had a special 24-hour party permit. Williams could only provide a copy of his business license and alcohol license. We then informed Williams he was in violation of the city ordinance for selling alcohol for consumption during unauthorized hours. Williams then stated he was not selling the alcohol, however while outside of the club while patrons were walking to the club Williams told them to hold off on paying because the club might be shut down.
Sawyer opened Asylum in July 2012 in the location of the former Echo Club and first held drag shows at the club. But since its opening, Sawyer and the club have run afoul of liquor licenses and other business dealings in the neighborhood since almost Day 1.
Project Q has a the rundown of all of Sawyer’s mishaps, including being arrested and Asylum being criticized for dropping gay nightlife events.
Of course there’s his failed David magazine and Southern Voice newspaper attempts, too.
David magazine is now owned by David R. Thompson.