Deputies arrest three outside Storman's Palace, which may end teen night after its second melee in six months.
By CHRIS TISCH
Published May 29, 2003
LARGO - Three teens were arrested early Tuesday after a brawl outside Storman's Palace nightclub. The disturbance was quickly quelled by off-duty deputies.
A number of fights broke out about 1 a.m. as youngsters were leaving the nightclub following a teen night event. The three teens were charged with engaging in an affray.
Deputies said a crowd of about 200 gathered as the fighting spread. About 15 deputies brought the situation under control, though things almost got out of hand, sheriff's officials said.
"The arrests of these subjects quelled the fight and kept the affray from nearly becoming a riot as the 100 kids who were initially in and around the fight grew to over 200 as the fights broke out," Deputy Ryan Buckley, who was working off-duty at the club, wrote in a report.
The teens arrested are Stephen Yeldon, 18; Jermaine Long, 18; and a 16-year-old juvenile, who was not named by authorities.
The nightclub had a similar incident in December, when at least 400 teens were involved in a melee outside the club. The Sheriff's Office had to summon more than 60 deputies to the club at 2675 Ulmerton Road to halt the fighting. Several arrests were made.
After the incident, the Sheriff's Office asked Storman's to almost quadruple its security cadre to 22 off-duty deputies. The nightclub complied, but had recently considered asking the Sheriff's Office to lower the number to about 10, said Tom McNeice, the club's director of operations.
McNeice said only about 300 people attended the teen night event Monday. Teen night, which the club has held for about five years, at one time drew more than 1,000 youngsters a night, McNeice said.
Alcohol, tobacco and gum-chewing are not allowed at the club during teen night. The night is limited to patrons 18 and younger.
McNeice said with numbers dwindling and the cost of paying the deputies rising, he may consider ending teen night events.
"At this rate, it won't even pay to continue the night," he said. "Half the money coming in is going to the police.
"We're trying to do everything to keep it safe," he added. "It's kind of frustrating that this stuff is still going on."
