A Franklin County judge agreed to board up a northeastern Columbus bar after a number of violent incidents took place over the course of a year, the city attorney’s office said.
Franklin County Environmental Court Judge Stephanie Mingo signed an order on Aug. 7 to shutter Czars Restaurant and Lounge, located at 6857 Flags Center Dr. near Schrock Road and Cleveland Avenue.
City Attorney Zach Klein’s office said Columbus police took more than 30 reports at the bar during a 12-month period, culminating with a shooting on Aug. 1 that left one person injured and multiple vehicles damaged.
Other calls to the bar have involved shootings, fights and other assaults, according to Klein’s office.
“Nightlife is important to our city, but so is safety,” Klein said in a statement. “When a bar or restaurant becomes a magnet for crime and violence, we will step in to have ownership change course or face legal consequences.”
Since April 4, Columbus police have taken 11 reports for violent incidents at the bar, according to Klein’s office.
Following a reported assault in June, Columbus police saw people outside the bar firing weapons. One of those suspects, the city attorney’s office said, led police on a chase that involved speeds over 100 mph.
Court records say on July 30, a member of the company that owns the property the bar leases said it would be working to evict the bar. Two days later, a fight inside the bar led to shots being fired and one person being injured, the city attorney’s office said.
A youth camp was happening at an adjacent property at the time, according to the city attorney’s office.
The bar was also advertising an event for Aug. 8 that required an emergency order to shut down the property.
Reporter Bethany Bruner can be reached at bbruner@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: City boards up northeast Columbus bar after shootings, fights
Reporting by Bethany Bruner, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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By Bethany Bruner, Columbus Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
