Bar owner's arrest results in liquor license review

The city needs to review the liquor license for Katie's Bar because the owner interfered with a police investigation, according to Sheriff Kenny Furlong.

The city liquor board could set a date for the review at its meeting Thursday.

Owner Kil Ye Chew disputes the sheriff's charge. She said she did nothing wrong and was treated unfairly.

The sheriff's department, however, says Chew, 57, obstructed officers when she refused to tell them someone was hiding inside her office at the bar, 3481 Highway 50 East, during an investigation into the stabbing of two men in the bar parking lot Feb. 17.

A detective asked her about some video cameras, according to Chew's arrest report, and she told officers the cameras didn't work. Chew told police she didn't have keys to the office when the detective asked to see the equipment, the report said, though she eventually opened the door.

The report says deputies then found a man hiding inside in the dark. He was arrested for being intoxicated while on probation but was not a suspect in the stabbing.

A 29-year-old Dresslerville man surrendered later that week. Chew was booked on suspicion of misdemeanor obstructing an investigation.

"That's not the type of activity we want from our business people," Furlong said.

But the stabbings happened in the parking lot, Chew said, so she did not know about them until the police arrived as she was closing the bar. She said she could not find the keys to the office immediately because they were misplaced.

She also said she didn't know the man police found was there because she thought he had left in a taxi.

Police were rude and aggressive, she said, and called her "a liar" and profanities. They didn't read Miranda Rights to her, either, she said.

"I kept saying, 'Why are you taking me to jail? I didn't do nothing. I didn't even do nothing.'"

Chew opened the bar in August 2006 and has run businesses for 30 years. She said she has never been in trouble before and accused officers of being racist.

Katie's Bar did pass a sheriff's department sting in February 2007 checking for bars and liquor stores that would sell to minors.

The bar also got a perfect health department inspection in March 2007 and an almost perfect inspection in January.

Police have been called to the bar almost 50 times in the past year.

Chew's liquor license could be suspended or revoked at her review if a date is set. Furlong declined to say what action he would recommend the board take.

A bar at the same location under the name Fairl's had its liquor license revoked in 2006 after Carson City deputies responded to 160 calls, many involving fights and weapons.

Fairl's was also cited four times for serving alcohol to minors, and two felony and 11 misdemeanor arrests were made there.

Winnie Liquors was the most recent business to have its liquor license suspended after the store was cited for selling alcohol to minors.

• Reporter F.T. Norton contributed to this article. Contact reporter Dave Frank at dfrank@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.