After being ejected from a Pioneer Square nightclub early Sunday for an apparently flagrant violation of a no-lap dancing rule, a 57-year-old felon went on a rampage inside the club and was arrested by police who caught the man trying to ditch a handgun.
The owner of a club at Occidental Avenue South and South Washington Street called 911 around 2AM to report of a man destroying property inside the club. Club security had reportedly contacted the suspect after he was the recipient of a prohibited lap dance inside the venue. When security asked the man to leave he proceeded to tear lighting out of the bar, flipped tables and chairs, and broke multiple glasses. The owner went on to say that as security struggled to get the man outside, they noticed a holster on his hip.
Officers searched the nearby area and found the suspect standing in a parking lot. Officers approached the man who ducked behind a car before they heard the sound of something metal sliding along the pavement. Officers moved in and arrested the man without further incident finding a .25 caliber handgun on the ground beneath the car. Officers conducted a computer check of the suspect’s name and found that he is a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Officers booked the man into King County Jail for investigation of property damage and the firearms violation.