Snohomish tavern pleads case before Liquor Board

EVERETT — Should a bartender call police if a brief fight outside her tavern leaves a customer with a bloody nose? If a bartender kicks out an unruly customer who then gets into a brawl farther down the street, is it the tavern's fault?

The U&I Tavern, a downtown Snohomish business with a reputation for rowdiness, is fighting to keep its doors open after the recent death of a customer — an off-duty Bothell firefighter — following a fight outside the tavern. The state Liquor Control Board wants to revoke the tavern's license permanently for allowing disorderly conduct.

Bartenders, tavern customers and police officers yesterday testified before a state administrative-law judge at the board's South Everett offices, in response to an appeal filed by the U&I. The hearing is to conclude today.

The state is basing its case on three unrelated fights involving U&I customers during a six-day period in February, culminating with the death of Gary McAdam, 40, of Snohomish.

Witnesses say McAdam called an off-duty bartender a name because she wouldn't help him with a pool table. She then hit him, attracting the attention of her boyfriend, Tony Cullum.

Other customers reportedly restrained Cullum. When the firefighter left, Cullum followed him outside and knocked him unconscious. McAdam died the next day, Feb. 27. Cullum has been charged with second-degree murder.

Most of yesterday's testimony, however, concerned two other fights.

On Feb. 21, two customers argued inside the bar. Several testified that Kevin Mayfield of Lake Stevens took offense when another man groped the breast of a female acquaintance.

Mayfield testified he told the man "that was very disrespectful" and repeated his comment when the man seemed to ignore him. Mayfield said he then went to the restroom and when he returned he saw the man shaking hands with the woman and her boyfriend.

That couple, Carrie Doran and Cory Sorenson, testified that Sorenson requested — and received — an apology from the man, who then shook their hands. But when Mayfield left the tavern, the man apparently ambushed him, punching him, knocking him to the ground, then kicking him in the ribs.

Two days later, bartender Amy Deahl kicked Doran and Sorenson out of the tavern and permanently barred them because of their unruly behavior. Several people testified that a large group left the U&I minutes later.

A brawl, which apparently began when some of the men threatened Sorenson, then erupted outside. The crowd dispersed when police arrived.

The Liquor Control Board filed the complaints March 6, imposing a 30-day license suspension. Yesterday, Jay Leach, attorney for tavern owner Keith Allen, said the board hadn't given the U&I an opportunity to address the problems. The board is supposed to impose "progressive discipline," he said.

The tavern reopened April 5 after the owner appealed the license suspension.