Hammond police
found small amounts of assorted drugs and drug paraphernalia in an
after-hours nightclub raid early Sunday in what club owners termed
"harassment."
The Edge, an
alcohol-free nightclub on West Thomas Street that is frequented by
teen-agers, was closed for an hour while police searched it and its
patrons, Sgt. Chuck Muse said. Two people were arrested.
"We want to make the public aware that we're
aware and let parents know that this is the kind of place they're
sending their kids to go out at night," Muse said.
Muse said the 2:40 a.m. raid was part of an ongoing undercover operation at the nightclub in response to public complaints.
While police had no search warrant, they were
able to search the club because it is a public place, said Capt. Kim
Barker, adding officers only frisked patrons and did not check pockets.
Police seized close to 2 liters of GHB, three
tablets of Ecstasy, a small envelope of cocaine and almost an ounce of
marijuana, Muse said. All were found discarded inside the club.
The GHB, or gamma hydroxybuterate, was found in
four water bottles, police said. It is a clear liquid and a central
nervous system depressant that has been linked to comas, seizures and
death.
Muse said police also found discarded inhalers and decongestants used to enhance the high of Ecstasy, a euphoria-inducing drug.
"In raids like this, you find it on just a few people. They just get it off their person, walk off and leave it," Muse said.
About nine police officers blocked exits and
bathroom doors while police sent each patron outside the club to be
searched one at a time.
Two 15-year-olds were cited for curfew violation and released to the custody of their parents.
Police determined by a
computer
search that more than 15 people without identification were over 16 and
therefore allowed to enter the club, but they wondered how the Edge
knew.
Father and son Terry and Brian Pettigrew opened
the club in September. On weekends, it stays open until 6 a.m. and sells
water and soda but no alcohol. They said the club has a dance license
and is not regulated by the Alcohol Beverage Control Board. An average
night features DJs, a light show and a $2 to $4 cover.
Terry Pettigrew said his club is relatively
clean, and the amount of drugs found in the Edge is on par with any
local bar on any given weekend.
"There will be some people selling drugs, but if
you're smoking a marijuana cigarette, they're smuggling it in," he said.
"We don't sell drugs. We don't advocate doing drugs. Still, we've had
trouble with the police since we've been there."
Pettigrew added that the police search was conducted unprofessionally and illegally.
"They banged our equipment while they were
searching. They ransacked my concession stand, stuff they didn't have to
do," he said.
Barker countered that even one joint is too much and that the Pettigrews should be aware of any drug use in their clubs.
"We go into barrooms on a regular basis and don't
find that much drugs," he said. "They should be aware of what's going
on in their place of business. It's unusual for all those people so
young to be sniffing on Vicks inhalers."
Brandon Sharpe, 19, of Branson, Mo., was charged
with possession of GHB. Jason B. McLain, 22, Covington, was charged with
simple possession of marijuana
