Bar brawl after World Cup raises concerns of inadequate security

A Doral, Florida, nightclub owner might be in hot water following a July 6 World Cup celebration at a predominately Latino bar ended in a parking lot brawl. According to police reports, six people were arrested after a disagreement involving the Brazil-Colombia game spilled out into the parking lot of Bar Urbano on Northwest 41st Street.

A combination of booze and misplaced enthusiasm for the sport of soccer first erupted at the bar some time before 7:55 p.m. That’s when police say they arrived at the nightclub after being summoned to break up a fight. Although the fight which had prompted the initial call had concluded another series of altercations had since taken shape in the parking lot of the establishment. There officers arrested two people for battery on a police officer and took and for others for disorderly intoxication.

The Doral, Florida, police chief is downplaying the incident. Despite the concerns of some bar patrons for their safety, the chief says that the owner is doing enough. He says the owner has hired an off-duty police officer to work as a security guard at the establishment between 12:30 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. The chief says that the World Cup doesn’t automatically warrant additional security. He says that any situation involving more people and alcohol is a potential danger.

Patrons who frequent private establishments have a right to enjoy themselves without danger of being harmed. The owner of a bar or nightclub has a duty to enact reasonable efforts to ensure the safety of its customers. That owner can incur premises liability for failure to employ adequate security measures. For example, a property owner with a prior history of frequent violence occurring within their establishment might be civilly liable for not installing metal detectors at the door or security professionals to search patrons for weapons. Patrons injured by third parties while visiting an establishment with improper or inadequate security may be entitled to recover compensation for their injuries.

Source: Miami Herald, “World Cup fever gets heated at Doral bar; six arrested” Emma Court, Jul. 06, 2014