Chris Hideaway, Popular St. Croix Nightclub, Extends Free Entry To Non-Uniform Officers Following Texas Slayings

Last updated: 11:41 a.m.

ST. CROIX — Following recent incidents involving African American men and white police officers, Chris Hideaway, above, a popular local nightclub and sports bar, is hosting events aimed at showing solidarity with officers who put their lives on the line daily, following the deaths of five officers in Texas.

The move, according to the facility, shows its stance against violence and the importance of police.

Chris Hideaway is also honoring the memory of the black men who lost their lives to police brutality in the U.S. recently — Alton Sterling by two police officers in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota, who was shot multiple times sitting in his car while his girlfriend and their 4-year-old child watched.

“In recognition and remembrance of the five fallen police officers in Dallas, Chris Hideaway will have a free cover charge for all non-uniformed police officers on weekends for the remainder of July and August,” reads a press release the club issued Friday.

“Likewise, in honor of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, there will be discounts on mixed drinks and a dollar from each beer sold for the month of July will be donated to a nonprofit organization in our community,” it added.

In light of recent club violence — one which occurred last Sunday in the vicinity of Chris Hideaway, and another at the Aqua Lounge Saturday night — Chris Hideaway owners hope to keep patrons visiting, stressing that they do not condone violence, and do their best to prevent such incidents from occurring.

Inside Chris Hideaway

“Chris Hideaway does not encourage and will not tolerate violence in and around the establishment. It is a place where residents and visitors of all backgrounds, gender and race come together to relax and enjoy themselves,” reads the release.

Indeed, a recent incident at Chris Hideaway led to the arrest of an individual, who had attempted to enter the facility with an unlicensed firearm, and was stopped by security.

Police Chief Winsbut McFarlande said recently that V.I.P.D. officers would begin patrolling nightclubs to ensure the safety of patrons.

“What I’ve been noticing is that a lot of our shooting incidents usually happen after a jam or a nightclub activity. These occur between 3:30 a.m. and 4:00 a.m.,” the chief said. He mentioned the incident that occurred near a gas station across from Sunny Isle last month, where multiple individuals were involved in a shootout that left at least one person injured, although the victim did not report to the Juan F. Luis Hospital for medical attention.

“What I’ve been doing is talking to the nightclub owners. I’ll be working close with the Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs, reaching out to the business owners and having them close their doors at 3:30 a.m. The law says nightclubs stay open until 4:00 a.m., [but] it doesn’t mean that four o’clock is when you stop the music and close the door. It means that [by] four o’clock everybody is out of the business,” Chief McFarlande said.

He made known that he’s had discussions with establishment owners such as Chris Hideaway, Aqua Lounge and Playa’s Club — “letting them know that when I send my officers there, my officers will say, ‘Hey, it’s 3:30, it’s time to shut down.’” The chief said club employees should then turn on the lights to nudge clubgoers out, which will be followed by police protection for a period of time to ensure that violence does not breakout outside.

Correction: July 10, 2016

A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Chris Hideaway was offering free drinks to non-uniform police officers. The establishment is offering free entry to non-uniform officers; not free drinks. The story has been updated to reflect the correct information.