BY IRIS B. HOLTON
Sentinel City Editor

A popular Ybor City club was closed for two days after police were denied entry. Three people were also arrested.

Early last Tuesday morning, Tampa Police officers responded to Club Manilla, 2620 E. 7th Avenue, to conduct a bar check. However, they were denied entry into the club.

According to the police report, “Upon approaching the front door, which was propped open with several patrons in line waiting to go in, we attempted to enter the establishment. The defendant, later identified as Robert Walker, (Manager, Security), along with Jorge Gonzalez, (Manager), saw us and immediately pushed several patrons away and unpropped the door and attempted to shut it.”

The officer wrote that he grabbed the door and “With Walker pulling from the inside and Gonzalez pushing from the outside, they slammed the door shut and Walker locked it from the inside.”

The officer wrote that they gained entry into the club after a female patron opened a side door and another officer entered.

Walker was arrested and charged with obstructing the police and refusing to allow inspection of a licensed establishment. He was given a misdemeanor notice to appear in court.

Police also arrested Fred Schwartz and Gonzalez, and charged them with refusal to allow inspection of a licensed establishment. They were also “determined to be the instigators and of locking the police out.”

The officers also wrote in their report that Schwartz told them he was acting on the advice of his attorney. He had reportedly been instructed not to allow the police inside without a warrant.

The police report further stated that the Fire Marshal’s Office responded to the business and “discovered some things that needed to be taken care of before they reopened.”

Police said during the inspection, they looked at the business and “it was still very dirty and not cleaned up from business from the past night.”

Police said they also saw evidence of “trace amounts of marijuana on the floor and counters of the business.”

Captain Lonnie Benniefield, spokesman for the Tampa Fire Department said, “We became involved after they refused to allow police to enter. That is a violation of the assembly permit.

“It was temporarily revoked because they had to get some things corrected, and was subsequently given back to them.”