Violence Erupts at Private Event Held at Fire Hall
One arrest, two sent to Shock Trauma after Friday night party at Violetville VFD.
Separate fights broke out early Saturday at a private party held at the Violetville Volunteer Fire Department, resulting in one person being stabbed and another being hit by a car, police said. One person was arrested.
At around 1:30 a.m. on Feb. 4, a fight broke out in a large crowd of people attending a birthday party at the fire hall and one adult male was stabbed, officials said.
The stabbing victim sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, according to fire department officials.
Unrelated to the stabbing, another fight erupted shortly afterward that resulted in an adult male being struck by a car, according to police. This victim was also transported to Shock Trauma with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
One person was arrested related to the vehicular assault, according to police. Details were not available.
Neighbors described a loud and chaotic scene at the VVFD fire hall. "There were people, yelling, screaming and fighting all over the neighborhood," one resident who lives nearby told Arbutus Patch.
The event at the fire hall was not sponsored by VVFD, but rented out to a private party by the fire department.
VVFD president-elect Sam Suter said he was at the fire hall Saturday night until trucks were dispatched for a fire call.
"When we left for the fire call it was a normal party," he said. "We came back and saw cop cars and ambos all over the place."
Fire halls and community centers are sometimes rented by promoters for "traveling clubs" that charge admission and serve liquor.
"They tell us it's a retirement party or a Sweet 16 party, and how are we supposed to know? Suter said. "We don't profile against anybody."
Suter said that the problem of violence at fire hall events has become more serious in the last three months, and will be a high priority when his term of office as president begins March 1.
"Promoters are banned from the hall," he said. "The new administration coming in is going to make some drastic changes, and hall rentals is top of the list."
The VVFD fire hall rents for $175 per hour with a four-hour minimum and a mandatory $100 clean-up fee. Renters are responsible for all damage and for providing their own security.
Previously, VVFD had allowed renters to hold events as late as 2 a.m. Suter said that going forward events will be required to end by midnight.
Violence at hall rentals in the area has been a problem in the past. Last November, a Reisterstown woman was charged with assault following an altercation at a party at the VVFD fire hall.
In 2007, two people were killed and three injured when gunfire erupted at a party at Arbutus Social Club.
At private events held at the Odenton Volunteer Fire Department banquet hall, a man was stabbed to death in March 2005 and three people were injured when a guest opened fire with a shotgun in September of the same year.
In This article
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Violetville Volunteer Fire Department
4000 Benson Ave, Arbutus, MD -
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Arbutus Social Club
1338 Stevens Ave, Halethorpe, MD
Rose
7:04 am on Sunday, February 5, 2012
Really? Stop renting these places out for private parties. This just happened in Arbutus a few years back.
CAW21227
7:18 am on Sunday, February 5, 2012
I hope the incoming president at VVFD is sincere when he says he is going to make some "drastic changes".I for one am going to be paying close attention to what goes on at that fire house. I refuse to allow people coming in from outside my neighborhood to give it a bad name.
CAW21227
7:24 am on Sunday, February 5, 2012
Also, this type of gathering has been going on week after week and this is not the first time a person has been hit by a car driven by someone at the event. Surely the person in charge of renting the hall knows that birthday parties with 250 people attendinfg just don't happen every week. I'm sure they know that they have been renting to these promoters. This has to stop. The people attending these things can be dangerous.
Jethro
11:25 am on Sunday, February 5, 2012
So your official response is...<B>"They tell us it's a retirement party or a Sweet 16 party, and how are we supposed to know? Suter said. "We don't profile against anybody."<B>....Have you ever heard of SCREENING...or COMMON SENSE.
ALSO...you tell them that they need to supply their own security...<B>AS IF YOU'RE EXPECTING THE TYPE OF CROWD THAT NEEDS BOUNCERS<b>...for a retirement or birthday party??? I'd say that somebody needs to check with or make an official complaint to the liquor board or county permits dept...You're not above the law and the VVFD should be treated just like a problem bar. The neighborhood needs to get together and nip this problem in the butt!!!
Jocko
6:27 pm on Sunday, February 5, 2012
Not suprised now, and won't be later when the race card gets thrown around after the FD refuses a rental.
Sam suter
7:07 pm on Sunday, February 5, 2012
@caw dont worry you know im a man of my word dont you weber..@jocko there is no race card being pulled or gonna be pulled that is a asumption and shows ignorance@jethro I never said they had to supply security and measures have been put in place to were a incident like this wont happen again believe us or not thats your choices but I do what I say
Sam suter
7:08 pm on Sunday, February 5, 2012
@caw dont worry you know im a man of my word dont you weber..@jocko there is no race card being pulled or gonna be pulled that is a asumption and shows ignorance@jethro I never said they had to supply security and measures have been put in place to were a incident like this wont happen again believe us or not thats your choices but I do what I say
Jocko
9:28 pm on Sunday, February 5, 2012
Not being ignorant, just a realist. Ignorance lies in the behavior of your hall attendees. If memory serves, the race card trick was pulled on a VFD in PG County who refused to rent to a "Birthday Party" . I understand your companies need for rental income, and wish you nothing but good luck in controling the damage this incident has caused your orginiazation.
John A
9:30 am on Monday, February 6, 2012
It is a lack of MANAGEMENT at the FIREHOUSE! just SHUT IT DOWN!!!!! we will wait for Arbutus to to get here rather then deal with this crap in our neighborhood.
CAW21227
12:32 pm on Monday, February 6, 2012
Let's give the new president a chance to turn things around. If things continue the way they have been, then yes, we will have to go further with the situation.
Emjeff
3:42 pm on Monday, February 6, 2012
The firefighters have no choice - if they profile, they are looking at lawsuits.
CAW21227
6:17 pm on Monday, February 6, 2012
They can make it uncomfortable enough that the promoters will not be interested in renting. They can shorten the available hours, not allow the beer keg and not allow BYOB. When you stop all that no one will want to rent the venue. Their other alternative is to allow it to go one the way it is and risk a lawsuit from someone who has gotten hurt inside the building or on the parking lot. People sue for crazy reasons and you end up having to defend yourself regardless. Or... they could stop renting altogether for a while and get themselves off the radar. I truly wish them luck, I know they have to raise funds to pay for that building.
Jethro
9:30 pm on Monday, February 6, 2012
Well put ...or maybe make rentals be recommended/sponsored by a member.
I can see Mr.Suter seems to be sincere in his response, I just hope he is able to follow through before bullets start flying. I wish them luck!
Sean Tully
2:44 am on Tuesday, February 7, 2012
The Violetville Volunteer Fire Department has a long and good history in this community and I am sure they will work this out. They've been around for over 100 years and I hope they are around for another 100 and more.
joymarchcheer@yahoo.com
11:43 am on Wednesday, February 8, 2012
You can't expect the VFD to just stop renting the hall or not allow BYOB. There are many good organizations and charities that utilize the space and have no problems. Better management is the answer, not closing them down. Do we need to be reminded that 2 children and a pregnant mother were killed months ago in Baltimore City due to the closest fire house being closed that particular night due to furloughs? Believe me when YOUR families home is on fire you WILL NOT want to wait for Arbutus.
CAW21227
1:12 pm on Wednesday, February 8, 2012
No one is saying that the fire dept should be closed down. We are talking about the hall behind it.
joymarchcheer@yahoo.com
2:59 pm on Wednesday, February 8, 2012
John A
9:30 am on Monday, February 6, 2012
It is a lack of MANAGEMENT at the FIREHOUSE! just SHUT IT DOWN!!!!! we will wait for Arbutus to to get here rather then deal with this crap in our neighborhood.