>> Jason: SOUTHFIELD BUSINESS OWNERS SAY POLICE ARE UNFAIRLY
PICKING ON THEM AND ARE TAKING
IT TO COURT.
THE OWNERS OF BURN HOOKAH BAR
SAY POLICE HAVE CONSTANTLY SHOWN
UP AT THEIR POPULAR BAR.
>> Karen: ONLY THEY PURCHASED IT
FROM THE PREVIOUS OWNERS.
KEF IS THERE.
HAS THIS BEEN IMPACTING
BUSINESS?
BUSINESS? >> Kevin: YES, IT HAS.
IT WAS PACKED EVERY SINGLE
NIGHT.
NIGHT. WHEN THE NEW OWNERS CAME IN WHO
HAPPEN TO BE AFRICAN-AMERICAN,
SUDDENLY, THE POLICE STARTED
CRASHING THE PARTY AND SCARED
CUSTOMERS AWAY AND NEARLY
BANKRUPT THE BUSINESS.
♪
♪ HOOKAH LOUNGES ARE POPPING UP
EVERYWHERE, A PLACE TO RELAX AND
SMOKE FLAVORED TOBACCO.
THE CITY OF SOUTHFIELD HAS A
TOUGH ORDINANCE.
TOUGH ORDINANCE. NO HOOKAH AFTER MIDNIGHT.
SHE WISHES SHE KNEW THAT BEFORE
SHE BOUGHT THE BURN HOOKAH
LOUNGE.
LOUNGE. >> I CAME HERE TO DO SOMETHING
GREAT AND WONDERFUL AND POSITIVE
FOR THE COMMUNITY.
I LOVE OUR YOUTH.
>> Kevin: SHE CLAIMS THE
PREVIOUS OWNER HAD NO PROBLEM
PAST MIDNIGHT AND SAID POLICE
NEVER BOTHERED THEM.
WHEN SHE BOUGHT THE HOOKAH
LOUNGE, THE POLICE STARTED
SHOWING UP ON A REGULAR BASIS.
>> IT’S A CONSTANT STATE OF
HARASSMENT.
HARASSMENT. >> Kevin: A LAWSUIT CLAIMS THE
CITY OF SOUTHFIELD IS TREATING
THE NEW AFRICAN-AMERICAN OWNER
DIFFERENT THAN THE FORMER
CAUCASIAN OWNER.
CAUCASIAN OWNER. >> IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO THAT
I’M AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN FEMALE.
>> Kevin: WARREN WAS HIT WITH
MULTIPLE CITATIONS.
MULTIPLE CITATIONS. >> THE POLICE BEGAN TO HARASS ME
EVERY DAY.
EVERY DAY. THEY BEGIN TO SIT OUTSIDE THE
BUSINESS.
BUSINESS. THEY HAD THEIR LIGHTS SHINING
STRAIGHT INTO THE BUSINESS.
>> Kevin: THE LAWSUIT SAYS
POLICE CAME TO BURN 37 TIMES ON
CALLS, INCLUDING STABBINGS,
GUNSHOTS, AND ASSAULTS.
TAKING PLACE AFTER MIDNIGHT.
AND THE CITY DID NOT DENY THOSE
AS REASON TO DENY THE LICENSE.
BUT WITH THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN
OWNERS, THE CITY EMBARKED ON A
RELENTLESS CAMPAIGN AND BEGAN A
PATTERN, POLICY ON BURN HOOKAH
IN AN ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THEM OUT
OF BUSINESS.
OF BUSINESS. THE REQUEST WAS DENIED.
>> WITHOUT A LICENSE, YOU CAN’T
OPERATE.
OPERATE. HOWEVER THE PREVIOUS OWNER WAS
HERE FOR FIVE YEARS AND NEVER
HAD A LICENSE.
>> Kevin: A LOCAL SOCIAL MEDIA
MODEL SAID HE WANTED TO CREATE A
FUN SAFE PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO GO
AND THE CITY DISCRIMINATED
AGAINST HIM.
AGAINST HIM. >> SINCE THE BEGINNING OF
JANUARY, THEY BUST IN HERE FIVE
TIMES, NO WARRANT TO COME IN
HERE.
HERE. THEY’RE NOT VISUALLY SEEING
ANYTHING WRONG OR CHASING A
SUSPECT OR COMING IN FOR MEDICAL
REASONS, JUST BUSTING IN TO
INTIMIDATE PEOPLE.
INTIMIDATE PEOPLE. >> Kevin: ROGER MASON SAYS THE
FINAL STRAW WAS WHEN THE
SOUTHFIELD POLICE DROVE ALL THE
WAY FROM SOUTHFIELD TO HIS HOUSE
IN CLARKSTON AND ARRESTED HIM IN
FRONT OF HIS NEIGHBORS FOR
CITATIONS RUN AGAINST THE BAR,
NOT AGAINST HIM PERSONALLY.
HE SAID HE UNDERSTANDS THAT
BEING TICKETED AND CITED CAN BE
PART OF RUNNING A HOOKAH BAR BUT
HE BELIEVES HE IS BEING TARGETED
AND WILL GO TO COURT TO TRY AND
PROVE IT.
PROVE IT. KEVIN DIETZ, "DEFENDERS."
>> Jason: AND OBVIOUSLY POLICE
ARE FAMILIAR WITH BURN.
WHEN YOU TALK TO THEM AND ASK
THEM ABOUT THIS LAWSUIT, WHAT
DID THEY SAY -- FRANKLY, WHAT
DID THE CITY HAVE TO SAY ABOUT
IT?
IT? >> Kevin: WE TRIED TO GET THEIR
SIDE OF THE STORY.
BUT THE DEPUTY POLICE CHIEF SENT
US TO THE LAW DEPARTMENT.
THE LAW DEPARTMENT SAID THEY
WILL NOT COMMENT ON ANYTHING IN
LITIGATION, BUT THEY WILL BE
TELLING THEIR SIDE OF THE STORY
TO THE COURT.
THEY HAVE WRITTEN RESPONSES THAT
ARE DUE ON JUNE 11th, AND WE’LL
TELL WHAT YOU THEY HAVE TO SAY