Strip club searched after assault on customer

Keith Paul

Friday, Oct. 5, 2001 | 9:39 a.m.

Metro Police detectives on Thursday searched the Crazy Horse Too strip club in connection with a case involving a Kansas tourist who says a bouncer, in a dispute over an $88 bar tab, assaulted him and left him paralyzed.

Detectives spent about two hours searching the Industrial Road strip club Thursday morning and left with credit card receipts, personnel information and a few security camera videotapes, said Lt. John Alamshaw of Metro's robbery unit.

Police are trying to determine whether employees of the club were involved in the incident, which occurred on Sept. 20 about 6:30 a.m. in the parking lot of the club.

Police said Kirk Henry, 43, suffered a broken neck.

Alamshaw said detectives are investigating the incident as an attempted murder and robbery with substantial bodily harm.

Rick Rizzolo, owner of the Crazy Horse Too, said he cooperated with police and doesn't think any of his employees were involved.

"The guy used his credit card, so we know he was here, but he paid his bar tab," Rizzolo said. "The first time we saw the guy he was lying on the ground and (one of the club's employees) called 911."

But Alamshaw said detectives suspect a club employee may be involved.

"If we didn't have probable cause, we couldn't get a search warrant," Alamshaw said.

No suspects have been identified and no arrests have been made, but the investigation is continuing, Alamshaw said.

Henry told police the "person who strangled him was the bouncer, because he acted on behalf of Crazy Horse Too in his actions and speech," according to a police report.

Henry was in the club early on Sept. 20 when a bartender and a dancer approached him regarding an $88 tab. Henry then went to look for a friend, with whom he was with, and then left the club, according to a police report.

"Once outside, (Henry) was going to get in his car and (a) bouncer of Crazy Horse grabbed him around the neck, manually strangling him and twisting his neck," the report states. "(Henry) then fell to the ground, recalling his body went numb and, lying there, found it hard to breathe."

While on the ground, Henry told police, one of the bouncers took his wallet and removed money. The wallet was then returned to Henry, according to the report.

Henry was taken by ambulance to Valley Hospital, where he underwent surgery on his neck -- the sixth and seventh vertebrae were broken, according to the report.

A Valley Hospital spokeswoman said Thursday that Henry was not at the hospital and didn't have additional information. Messages left for Henry's family and for the friend, who he was with at the club, were not returned. Police said Henry's friend didn't witness the incident.

Rizzolo said there were no bouncers on duty at the time Henry was injured.

"The guys know they aren't to touch anyone," he said. "If there is a problem, we call the police."

Henry's allegations mark the second time in four months that Metro Police have investigated a patron's claim that he was assaulted by employees of the Crazy Horse Too and that money was taken.

Kenneth Kirkpatrick told police he and several friends went to the club May 24 for a bachelor party. Kirkpatrick and his friends had a disagreement regarding the amount of the bill and asked for the manager, according to a police report.

Kirkpatrick said security personnel threatened him. In the report he claimed he was forced to sign a charge on his Visa card for $220 and that "the bouncers were shoving (him) around."

The report states that Kirkpatrick, "being afraid he was going to be beaten, threw a punch hitting one of the bouncers. Security then knocked him to the ground and punched and kicked him in the face and back of the head. Victim's arms were grabbed and he was handcuffed. Victim then states he felt hands in his pockets."

A few minutes later his wallet was tossed into his lap, the handcuffs were taken off and he was told to leave, according to the report. Later he discovered that $140 was missing from his wallet.

Police submitted the case to prosecutors, who obtained warrants for four Crazy Horse Too employees. Joseph Melfi, Peter Pachio, Phillip Salemi and Mark Tenzer were charged with robbery, battery and conspiracy to commit robbery and coercion. A preliminary hearing will be concluded Oct. 11 to determine whether there is enough evidence for the case to go to trial.

Rizzolo dismissed Kirkpatrick's allegations, saying that several times in the past when someone didn't want to pay they accused club employees of taking money or that employees forced them to sign a credit card receipt.