8 patrons issued 17 tickets at the Penalty Box Bar

The Charleston Police Department issued 17 tickets at the Penalty Box Bar during an alcohol compliance check at 12:45 a.m. Sunday.

During the check at the bar, located at 1419 Fourth St., the police officers focused on checking the identification of approximately 25 patrons inside.

Lt. Brad Oyer of the Charleston Police Department said this raid was not the result of a complaint.

“We do at least one a year and we choose the place,” Oyer said.

Over the past few months, police officers have discovered under age patrons leaving the Penalty Box, Oyer said.

The police will continue the investigation and possibly issue more tickets in the future.

“Seventeen tickets were issued with the possibility of more forth coming after looking at the tape provided by the bar,” Oyer said. “This was the preliminary round of charges and we could see more forth coming.”

The Penalty Box Bar has not been cited in the raid.

Peter Chirstos, the owner of the bar and a senior business management major, said this was the first time the bar had an alcohol compliance check after officially opening its doors at the beginning of the semester.

“As the owner I’m fine with this happening as long as other things are fairly conducted and the police force is fairly spread out to the bars around town,” Christos said.

Two tickets were issued for the possession of false identification.

Chirstos said employees at the door do what they can to ensure this does not happen.

“If someone represents the person on the I.D., they know all the information, and they have a second form (of identification) that is all the door guys can do,” Christos said. “They do everything they can to ensure that the person giving the I.D. is the person represented on it.”

Kayleigh Zyskowski can be reached at 581-7942

or [email protected]