Stratos Nightclub, a bar and club in San Francisco’s Excelsior neighborhood, had its entertainment permit stripped after a string of violent incidents inside and outside the place of business.
At an Entertainment Commission meeting Tuesday night, the board voted unanimously to revoke Stratos’ permit, prohibiting its ability to continue to operate as a club at 358 Ocean Ave. Stratos may appeal the ruling.
The owners of the club did not respond to a request for comment.
Maggie Weiland, executive director of the Entertainment Commission, said that there have been seven violent incidents at the location over the past 18 months. In one of the shootings, a minor ultimately died from a gunshot wound, Weiland said.
Alieu Iscandari, a representative of the club’s owners argued at the meeting that the majority of the violent incidents occurred outside of the nightclub’s zone of responsibility and that the club was proactive in its security protocols. Those arguments were largely brushed aside amid a mountain of evidence of the club owners' negligence.
“You’re exploitative of this community, and I would highly suggest you get out of this business,” said Commissioner Stephen Torres.
In June, three people were hospitalized after a shooting inside the club. Police later arrested a for the shooting on charges of attempted murder and two charges of assault.
“The one thing that nobody can deny is that three people were shot within a permit holder in San Francisco,” said Ben Bleiman, the vice president of the Entertainment Commission.
Last September, a man was left with life-threatening injuries after a shooting outside the club.
During those two shootings, Weiland said Stratos was not in compliance with its approved security plan and did not notify city staff about law enforcement responses to any of the violent incidents in violation of its permit.
City staffers put forward evidence that Stratos failed to comply with its security policies, including failing to have a working metal-detecting wand on the night that three people were shot inside the club.
“The one thing that I say is that the residents of that area deserve so much better in terms of a neighbor that respects their safety,” said Dori Caminong, the president of the Entertainment Commission. “One thing we are not going to be OK with is taking safety lightly, especially in this neighborhood, which is filled with families.”