City officials are in Hinds County Chancery Court trying to shut down the Upper Level Bar & Grill today. Police Chief Malcolm McMillin and Jackson Mayor Frank Melton say the club needs to be closed as a public nuisance because of the business’ proximity to shootings and other forms of crime in the area. The city is seeking a permanent injunction to close the club.
Judge Dewayne Thomas heard testimony from McMillin saying that police have responded to 21 calls in the last two years regarding incidents at the club or near its property.
Club attorney Chokwe Lumumba pointed out that many of the incidents city officials point to did not happen inside the club.
“In fact, one well-known shooting happened the equivalent of about two football fields away,” Lumumba explained, adding that only one shooting has ever happened inside the club, and that club personnel detained the suspect for police to come collect.
Club Manager Tonarri Moore said the city is crime infested and that the crime overflows into the club; it is not invited.
“We’re the victims of crime here,” Moore told the Jackson Free Press. “If the city thinks it has a case against us for encouraging crime then they need to bring up the charges in court.”
Mayor Melton targeted the club for police raids in 2005 and 2006, eventually driving club owner Sandra Moore to get a restraining order to keep police from “harassing” patrons. The city agreed to stop the raids if club owners agreed to hire more security and encourage employee background checks. Both the city and club owners claim the other party has since violated the terms of that agreement.
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The Mississippi Free Press produced this story through the MFP Solutions Lab, supported by the Solutions Journalism Network. This series digs into Mississippi’s systemic issues and sheds light on responses to them in other communities. Beyond just reporting on problems, these stories interrogate their causes and inspect potential solutions.