HOUSTON – The owner of the popular Third Ward nightclub where five people were injured following a shooting last week responded to the lawsuit filed by the city of Houston.
Eric Spivey, the owner of the nightclub, was surrounded by several people of the community during the afternoon news conference.
Along with Spivey, several people spoke about what the club means to the community and how it has become a pillar in the neighborhood.
“Spivey is a special breed. He has not only invested in a club, but he has invested into this community. He’s invested into this city and he’s invested outside of this state. He has invested way more than just nightlife fun, but he has invested in our kids and the elderly,” said one community member.
On Thursday, Feb. 17, police were called to the Spivey’s Famous Bistro located at 3000 Blodgett Street in response to a shooting.
Investigators said there was a fight that started inside the club 10 minutes before the shooting. A club bouncer and four others were shot.
A few days after the shooting, Mayor Sylvester Turner announced that the city of Houston filed a Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 125 common nuisance lawsuit seeking a temporary and permanent injunction against the owners of Spivey’s Bar and Lounge located at 3,000 Blodgett St., the owner of the property, and the property itself.
The lawsuit was filed after Turner joined the MacGregor Super Neighborhood and Riverside Civic Association as they expressed concern over increasing crime in their community.
The lawsuit alleges Spivey’s and the property owner allow aggravated assaults and shootings to habitually occur on the premises and fail to take reasonable measures to abate such criminal activity. The lawsuit is part of Mayor Turner’s commitment to fight crime and protect neighborhoods as outlined in his One Safe Houston plan.
“The City will be aggressive in saying to irresponsible businesses and others that they have a responsibility to make sure they are protecting their customers and neighbors,” said Mayor Turner. “We will take whatever steps we need to take to shut down dangerous businesses.”
In response to the lawsuit, the owner of the nightclub, Eric Spivey, retained a lawyer to defend the club against the request for temporary and permanent injunctive relief.
“Eric Spivey is not only a Houston success story, but he’s also an American success story! He has dedicated his life to his community and that needs to be taken into consideration here. He has never been arrested, and he was never handed anything. Everything Mr. Spivey has, he earned to the extent that he built a successful business in the very same community he has dedicated his life to,” Spivey’s lawyer, attorney Durrell Holt said about his client.
Spivey’s Uptown has released the following public statement regarding the incident:
“The main priorities at Spiveys Uptown [are] promoting and maintaining the safety & security of our employees and customers. We are truly dedicated to this [community and business] and will put all our efforts into making sure we maintain the safest environment possible within or about our establishment. We will be enhancing our law enforcement presence and security team in and outside of our establishment. You all are our guests and we want your experience here to be positive and joyous. [People of Houston and Third Ward] Know that you are valued and without your continued support and love, we could not be. Please know that the [February 18, 2022′s] incident was not at all indicative of who we are and what we stand for. We would like to thank our staff and security team for doing everything within their means to avoid this incident from occurring. Unfortunately, the unforeseen happened outside of our establishment. This incident has impacted us in ways that have left us in utter shock and disbelief. We Do Not Stand For This (emphasis added). Spivey’s was put in our community to not only provide a positive place of entertainment and enjoyment but to also give back. We pride ourselves on hosting free food, clothes, shoes, and back-to-school drives for a community. We also provide a place where entrepreneurs can come on the weekend to promote and sell their items and services. We are here to provide safety and promote positive changes within our community. Please stand with us as we recover from this unfortunate event.”