Liquor License at Risk After July 4 Shooting

Rock Island’s Liquor Control Commission spent more than four hours on July 8 reviewing police body-camera footage, witness statements and other evidence tied to DeAnna’s Place after a July 4 shooting at the tavern. The hearing centered on whether the bar at 2730 5th Ave. should keep its liquor license after city officials cited the shooting, fights, drinking outside and the presence of at least one underage person. Mayor Ashley Harris had already ordered the tavern closed on an emergency basis after the shooting, acting in his role as the city’s liquor commissioner. By the end of Wednesday’s hearing, the commission had not announced a final penalty, leaving Harris to decide within three days whether the license will be suspended or revoked. ### Why did the city move against DeAnna’s Place? Rock Island police said officers were dispatched to DeAnna’s Place at about 12:12 a.m. on July 4 for reports of gunfire. Officers found evidence of shots fired in two locations on the property and an occupied vehicle that had been struck by gunfire, according to police accounts carried by local news outlets. One person in that vehicle suffered minor injuries from shattered glass, and no other injuries were reported. (ourquadcities.com) At about 2 a.m. the same day, officers responded to another shots-fired report in the 1200 block of 9th Street and found a stolen vehicle damaged by gunfire, a parked vehicle that had been hit, and the suspect vehicle abandoned, police said. Officers later identified Damarkus Echols, 31, as the suspect from the earlier shooting and arrested him on charges of aggravated discharge of a firearm and possession of a controlled substance. (ourquadcities.com) ### What did commissioners review at the hearing? Wednesday’s hearing focused on more than the July 4 shooting. OurQuadCities reported that commissioners and supporters watched body-camera footage for more than four hours covering the shooting, fights, patrons drinking outside the bar and the presence of at least one underage person. Supporters of the bar and owner DeAnna Kraus also addressed the commission during the session. (ourquadcities.com) Leslie Day, the city attorney, told the commission the incidents showed an “ongoing pattern of non-cooperation” by the bar owner, according to OurQuadCities. Kraus disputed parts of the city’s presentation and objected to some comments and video evidence. She said she had cooperated with police and provided video they requested, while officers said she turned over some exterior footage but not the interior video they had asked for. (ourquadcities.com) ### What has the owner said in response? DeAnna Kraus, identified by the city and local reports as the owner of DeAnna’s Place, has said the business was not at fault for the shooting. OurQuadCities reported that Kraus told commissioners, “I don’t know what to do,” while arguing that she had cooperated with police. A separate report said she had objected publicly to the weeklong emergency closure. (ourquadcities.com) Andrea Smith, who works at the bar, told the commission the business has been proactive about safety, according to OurQuadCities. Other supporters also spoke on the tavern’s behalf during the hearing. ### What power does the mayor have in this process? Ashley Harris ordered DeAnna’s Place closed after the July 4 shooting, citing public safety, according to city statements reported by local media. (ourquadcities.com) The city’s Liquor Control Commission page says the mayor serves as the local liquor control commissioner within Rock Island and administers liquor licensing laws inside the city. Rock Island’s city calendar listed the July 8 proceeding as an “Emergency Liquor Hearing for DeAnna’s Place.” The city’s Liquor Control Commission page says hearings are scheduled as needed under the local code and that notice is provided at least three days before the meeting date. ### What happens next, and when? July 8 was the date of the emergency liquor hearing, and local reporting said Harris had three days to decide whether to suspend or revoke the tavern’s liquor license. (ourquadcities.com) As of Thursday, July 9, the city calendar still showed the hearing as the latest public step in the case. (rigov.org) Any final action on the license would come from Harris in his capacity as liquor commissioner, under the city structure described on Rock Island’s website. The next public record to watch is the city’s agenda and minutes system, where Rock Island posts meeting materials and later minutes for official proceedings. (rigov.org) (ourquadcities.com)