Empire Supper Club Owner Says Public Nuisance Order Unfair

Columbia, SC (WOLO)–   Police say the shootout started around 2 a.m. Saturday outside the Empire Supper Club on Lady Street. The city shut that club down after police deemed it a public nuisance shortly after the shooting. The building is still padlocked and the owner said he thinks is unfair since the shooting happened outside of his business.

“I did not see that coming. I stayed out there all night with the police until about 7 AM in the morning, helping them collect evidence, giving testimony,” Joseph Stovall said, Empire’s owner.

Joseph Stovall was at his supper club when shots rang out.

“Innocent people got hit, and it was very scary,” Stovall said.

Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook stated this is the second incident in the last two months, deeming Empire unsafe.

“At this time, I have declared the business, Empire supper club a public nuisance. I have revoked the business license and the building has been padlocked,” Holbrook said at a press conference Saturday.

But Stovall says the nuisance is not his business.

“They said it’s not random, no it’s not random, but it’s the act of 2 or 3 or 4 individuals who are criminals engaging in criminal affairs,” Stovall said.

“We know that bad things happen, and bad people come into our communities to do bad things, but this is a safe community. But as the chief mentioned, this was an intentional act and it will not be tolerated,” Teresa Wilson, Columbia’s City Manager.

“I feel like his swift action to shut our business is a hoax. It is a cover up to give the streets a sense of safety. To give the public a sense of safety, to say here’s the problem, we shut them down. We’re not the problem. The problem is the people with guns, the problem is the gang violence that exists in Columbia the day before and today,” Stovall said.

Stovall and Chief Holbrook has a hearing Tuesday at 9. ABC Columbia will have updates as they come.