Officers spat upon at Club BBU

YOUNGSTOWN — Reports said police officers were spit on early New Year’s morning while trying to disperse a large crowd after responding to a call of gunfire at a South Side club.

Officers were called about 3:15 a.m. to Club BBU, 21 W. Hylda Ave., and tried to get a large crowd to disperse. Reports said officers were spit on by men who were upstairs in the club.

Reports said the address is familiar to police, who were called there more than 49 times in 2018.

The owner, Damon Irby, denied he was not serving liquor and no one had to pay a cover to get in, which several people in the crowd claimed. Officers went upstairs and found more than 200 people, along with bottles of alcohol and several people who were leaving fired shots in the air, reports said. There was also a heavy odor of marijuana in the air.

There was no liquor permit in the building and there was also boxes with cash inside and cash registers filled with cash, reports said. Officers cited Irby for restrictions on sale of beer and liquor.