ATLANTA – New information has emerged in Atlanta regard ing
the fateful raid at the Eagle bar in 2009. Two undercover Atlanta police officers assigned to an investigation at the Atlanta Eagle downed shot after shot of the potent liqueur Jagermeister even as their colleagues were preparing to raid the Midtown gay bar, according to information obtained in a lawsuit against the city. According to information gathered in the now-settled lawsuit, officer Bennie Bridges spent $60 of APD funds on May 21, 2009, and another $50 the night of the raid on Sept. 10, 2009. A second officer working undercover that evening, Jared Watkins, claimed $60 for drinks the night of the raid. The third officer inside the Eagle bar before the raid claimed he spent $10. APD spokesman Carlos Campos has claimed APD “employees are prohibited from consuming intoxicants or illegal substances while on duty. However, exceptions are made for employees working undercover on specific law enforcement operations. Those exceptions must be approved ahead of time in writing by an employee’s supervisor, and must be limited to prevent the impairment of the employee.” Cristina Beamud, executive director of the Atlanta Citizen Review Board, which fields complaints against officers, said sometimes it is necessary “on some occasions, to drink in small quantities. It’s never a good idea for officers to consume alcohol, especially if they’re planning to take enforcement action.” In the wake of the raid, Atlanta Police department still struggle to rebuild their weakened relationships with the gay community. Mayor Kasim Reed tried to mend hurt feelings by apologizing for the raid. Robby Kelly, a co-owner who was tending bar on Sept. 10, 2009, said that the bartender Bridges and another officer bantered with also bought the two undercover officers a couple of Jagermeister shots in addition to the ones Bridges and Watkins bought for themselves. During the raid, patrons and employees were ordered to the floor and handcuffed. Some officers used profanity and anti-gay slurs as they conducted the searches, witnesses said. APD initially said the officers went to the bar based on reports that men were engaging in sex acts while others watched. Eight people were charged with violating city ordinances involving licensing however a municipal judge and prosecutors dropped all charges. Attorney Dan Grossman, who filed the lawsuit in federal court, questioned why some of the undercover officers drank so much. “That’s a lot of booze,” Grossman said. “That goes beyond fitting in. Now it’s having a good time. … they should have left the location once the raid started and left it to those who were sober.”