Lisa Aull, owner of Lil Bit Sassy, claims there’s been a rise in criminal behavior — including vandalism, public indecency and more — in front of her store on 2nd Street, saying most of the acts are committed by customers from the bar next door.
“They are doing everything from having sex, to pulling their male parts out, to urinating on 2nd Street, on my building, on the sidewalk, women pulling their breasts out,” Aull alleged during an Owensboro City Commission meeting on March 15. “… I cannot properly run a dignified business when I have a bar next door obviously overserving — and I’m not guestimating.”
Lil Bit Sassy is located at 125 W. 2nd Street, directly next to Brasher’s Little Nashville. Aull also owns property two doors down on the other side, and she claims there are similar acts committed there. She said the incidents started to pick up in February.
“The first incident that was brought to my attention by my security team on camera was Feb. 20 and it was a couple of females acting violently angry in the foyer of my business,” Aull said.
Over the March 11 weekend, Aull said she noted 18 instances of improper behavior from customers of the bar. When she approached City Commissioners earlier this month, Aull said she was nervous about a potential increase in incidents over the St. Patrick’s Day weekend.
After that weekend, Aull said when she reviewed the camera system she saw the bar’s ability to control their guests increased but alleged there were still incidents — namely nudity. And while she said appreciates the efforts put forth, she doesn’t think it’ll be able to cease all activity.
“I believe there will still be vandalism and criminal trespassing,” Aull said. “I don’t believe they’ll handle the situation at all. I believe they have enough going on inside their building that they cannot control inside and outside.”
When Brasher’s was asked to comment on the alleged incidents, Owner Tamarra Miller did not directly address the allegations but issued the following statement:
“At Brasher’s Little Nashville, it is our mission to provide quality musical entertainment and service to our community in a friendly, safe and clean environment. We are proud of our team and confident in their ability to fulfill our mission. We are pleased to see that the people of Owensboro are embracing the downtown entertainment district and Brasher’s Little Nashville. The demand for a venue like Brasher’s downtown is evident by the community’s response. We realize, with the increased traffic to downtown, that we must continue to handle our business with responsibility and care. We look forward to working with our community partners. We are excited to see the growth of Owenbsoro’s entertainment district and what’s to come. We are very thankful for the support of our community!”
Even as downtown has expanded with more bars and businesses serving alcohol — with the Pub on Second, Brasher’s Little Nashville, Bar Louie and SIP Wine Room all within a city block of Aull’s business — Aull claimed she was certain it was customers at Brasher’s involved with the incidents.
“[The other businesses] have been down here for a while and they’ve caused no problems. There’s been no filth. There’s been no vandalism. There’s been no nudity,” she said. “I’ve had my cameras for a while. When I heard Brasher’s was coming that close to me, I put my cameras up and just waited.”
When the City first announced they were creating “The District” downtown, Aull said she was nervous about customers being able to carry alcohol outside bars and restaurants and how it could impact Owensboro’s downtown reputation.
According to City Manager Nate Pagan, Brasher’s is not a member of “The District” despite being inside the limits. That means that alcohol purchased within the confines of Brasher’s cannot be taken out of the building.
After bringing the situation to the City’s attention, Aull said she received notices from Mayor Tom Watson, Pagan, and the landlord of Brasher’s — and was assured the Owensboro Police Department would be stepping up their efforts.
Pagan said that after talking with Aull and looking at the alleged actions, he referred any criminal violations to OPD and they would handle the situation from that point. Pagan also said the City filed an inquiry to the local Alcohol Beverage Control representative on the behalf of Aull to see what further steps can be taken.
To protect her property and facilities, Aull said she is hiring off-duty OPD officers to ensure no destruction occurs.
OPD Public Information Officer Andrew Boggess confirmed they are investigating Aull’s allegations but was not able to confirm specific incidents that they have witnessed.
