Police break up melee; NFL player arrested | Houston Chronicle

[Ediacara]

Police break up melee; NFL player arrested
By DANNY PEREZ
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle


Ben DeSoto / Chronicle
Houston Police take a man in custody after being called in to
break up a crowd of angry patrons at the Mercury Room. Patrons
were made to leave the club after a fight broke out
around closing time.

Police early today broke up a crowd of angry patrons who paid $200 each to get into a downtown nightclub but were being made to leave when a fight erupted inside at closing time.

Shortly after 2 a.m., officers were dispatched to the Mercury Room at 1000 Prairie where they found a crowd of club patrons outside the club doors.

When the crowd didn't break up as soon as officers demanded, the police resorted to using mounted officers and nightsticks to move the partygoers away from the entrance.

Several people complained they were hit by police as they were trying to leave.

"We were just walking out and the cop choked me and another cop hit me in my stomach" with a nightstick, said Tom Nguyen.

More at the Houston Chronicle