MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) — Six people are recovering after an officer involved shooting in downtown Memphis. Police say officers shot a woman after she shot five people outside Club Crave located at 380 Beale Street. The shooting happened around 3:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 25, 2011.
This is not the first time the club has been the site of trouble. The establishment was shut down a year ago in 2010 when it was known as the Plush Club. The club was ruled a public nuisance after numerous complaints of rowdy crowds and several shootings. It was under court supervision for a year.
John Crawford is disappointed about another shooting at 380 Beale. Crawford manages Hard Rock Café on Beale Street, less than a block away from Club Crave. Memphis police say a woman opened fire in the club's parking lot, shooting five men and critically injuring 2 of them. It was a bold move considering cops aren't too far away.
"The police presence is big; a lot of them are down here," said Crawford.
Crawford says business owners should always be on their toes before things get out of control.
"Pay attention, you have to pay attention. I think as managers we need to walk around to look for things. There are certain things you look for: speech patterns, behaviors, and the louder someone gets, it tells you what's going on,” he said.
Memphians say they are not at all surprised to hear about another shooting at the club.
"They can shut it down but somebody else is going to open it right back up, and it'll be in a different name," said a resident Willie Jones.
That's what business owners fear. They say violent crimes like this give Beale Street a bad name. Luckily, Crawford says it hasn't hurt his business but that could change.
"It's always a sad thing. You never want to hear that. It's going to be a big deal because it's in downtown Memphis and it's off of Beale Street,” said Crawford.
Crawford hopes the D.A. will shut down what he and others consider a public nuisance for good. The building at 380 Beale is under a 99-year lease to George Miller. Under the agreement he can sublet it to anyone except the people who ran the Plush Club.
The woman accused in the shooting is in critical condition and at the MED. The two officers involved in the shooting have been relieved of duty pending the outcome of the investigation. No charges have been filed.
