JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After officers with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Vice Unit cleared Tipsy Bar and Grill early Sunday morning in an after-hours raid, the agency issued a release about what happened.
“JSO is not the fun police. But JSO will crack down on bars and restaurants breaking the law. It’s not to stop the party but to keep everyone safe,” the release said.
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The Sheriff’s Office said it was conducting a crackdown at Tipsy, off Edgewood Avenue, after receiving multiple complaints about after hours service, violence and serving alcohol to minors.
Officers have responded to two shootings as well as numerous other disturbances at the bar in recent months, JSO said.
Overnight Saturday into Sunday morning, investigators watched as three people sold alcohol past the 2 a.m. legal cutoff with hundreds of patrons still in the bar. They were issued criminal citations.
The JSO Vice Unit, Narcotics and Community Problem Response Units, Code Enforcement, the Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco, and the Fire Marshal all took part in the raid.
“Our agency will continue to work with our partnering agencies to ensure businesses in Jacksonville are doing everything they can to operate within the law and keep patrons safe,” the JSO release said.
According to a woman who said she was inside celebrating her birthday weekend, officers entered the bar around 3 a.m. Sunday. The woman asked not to be identified.
“Everything was nice vibe, nice chill setting, and we were just enjoying life — and then next thing you know we have these police officers, and they just like bum rush the scene,” she said. “We were scared. We didn’t know what was going on.”
She described officers pushing patrons toward the exits. “They just came in, pushing everyone and telling them get out, get out — everyone gets out, it’s a raid, get out.”
A building violation adds to the bar’s troubles
When News4JAX arrived at the bar Monday, a stop-work order was posted on the door. It was issued after city inspectors said a recent building addition lacked proper permits.
News4JAX reached out to the owner of Tipsy for comment on both the weekend raid and the building notice. As of this report, we had not received a response.
A history of incidents at the nightclub
This is not the first time Tipsy has drawn attention from law enforcement.
Months ago, three people — including a security guard — were shot during a fight inside the bar.
Investigators later arrested Khamari Graham on attempted murder charges in connection with that case.
‘Limited options’ in Jacksonville’s urban neighborhoods
The woman who spoke with News4JAX said she is frustrated — not just with the bar’s troubles, but with what she described as a lack of entertainment options in Jacksonville’s urban communities.
“It’s hardly anything for us to do in Jacksonville, especially in the urban neighborhoods,” she said. “We have limited options. We try to go to the park, they shut down the park. You have a little meetup, they try to shut that down — so it’s really nothing to do here. The little entertainment that we do have, we try to take advantage of that and enjoy it.”
For now, the stop-work order remains posted on the front door of Tipsy Bar and Grill, and it is unclear when or whether the business will reopen.