And we thought Walnut Creek was a cauldron of vice. What apparently began as a small bar fight turned into an all-out melee at Kitty’s early this morning, as up to 180 people spilled into the streets, drawing knives and guns and throwing bottles at police officers. Bar security called the cops to report a fight at 1:25 a.m., Emeryville Seargeant Richard Lee told the Oakland Tribune. By time the police arrived, the situation had escalated precipitously. Many people were already injured and bloodied. Emeryville police called for reinforcements from UC Berkeley police and California Highway Patrol, but they couldn’t avoid a little collateral damage. In all, three officers were assaulted, including one who was punched in the face. At least two arrests were made. So far, staff at Kitty’s have remained sensibly quiet about the issue.
Update, 2/14: According to an e-mail from Kitty Faria, some of the figures that have been widely reported are incorrect: “No knives were brandished. There was 110 people at the bar at the time. About 30 people were involved in the ‘melee’.”
