Over the weekend, an after-hours club known as the B Rabbit Nightclub, located at 3860 South Gessner Road, found itself the target of a Houston Police Department raid. According to a report by Click2Houston, the operation took place early Saturday morning, around 4:30 a.m., and led to the arrest of three individuals amid multiple complaints and a history of criminal incidents, including DWI crashes and shootings linked to the club's activities.
Assistant Chief James Skelton expressed frustration over the strain after-hours clubs put on the police force, citing issues ranging from drunken driving to assaults. As recorded by Click2Houston, Skelton said, "This is one of the problems that we continue to see in the City of Houston," explaining the difficulties caused by such establishments. The club, which was shuttered in October by the Fire Marshal for several safety hazards, was found to be violating city ordinances by serving alcohol beyond the legal hours and operating without a proper occupancy permit.
Concurrent with the Click2Houston report, Fox26Houston added that the club was initially functioning during legal hours but then illegally transitioned into an after-hours club post 2 a.m. The site also highlighted a recent fatality linked to the club's operations, where a man on his way to work was killed in a DWI crash.
Captain Tim Trometer of the HPD Westside Division mentioned the multiple complaints and responded to the criminal activity connected with the club patrons, "In October, this establishment has been closed for the Fire Marshal, so no occupancy was to take place inside just due to the numerous hazards that anybody that who enters inside the building... such as several electrical hazards and other public safety concerns," Trometer told Click2Houston. Meanwhile, alongside the arrests, 32 citations were issued, and various items were seized during the raid.
The sentiment was echoed by Assistant Chief Skelton during a briefing about the raid. "Clubs close at 2 o'clock in Houston. They don’t close at 3. They don’t close at 4. It’s for a reason. That’s a city ordinance. So at 2 o'clock, close it up and go home. These roads are dangerous. There are multiple fatalities every single day in this city, and we get calls up to 5 and 6 o’clock in the morning about drunk drivers on our roadway. We want you to have a good time, but we want you to go home at 2 o'clock," Skelton stated to Fox26Houston. The arrested suspects now face charges for serving alcohol during prohibited hours, and the Houston Fire Marshal’s Office is also conducting a follow-up inspection. Houston Police encourage anyone with information about after-hours clubs to contact their Vice Division.
