BLINCO'S
Okay, I went to Blinco's tonight. I had a coke and some food and looked around - and talked to three employees. I had spoke with a Manager at Blinco's previously.
The first point is that I don't think it's credible to believe that there were two different groups of Durham Police officers in that bar and that one group didn't know the other group was there. I believe someone was being insulated from the investigation totally (no name in the paper or even routine questioning), in my opinion. Himan ? someone else? I don't know.
The place is not that big for 5 or 6 Policeman (some in their twenties) to be drinking and partying and that no one in one group saw anyone in the other group (remember, they were all in a different city too). There's only one floor.
There's basically 1 large room with a bar and two smaller rooms on each side of the bar - there's glass separating the rooms, so that you can see into (and out of) the bar area. I was there on Saturday night - and the place wasn't that crowded. The room to the right had only one table occupied. The incident happened around 11:40 ish or so. I think it's reasonable to believe the Police spent a couple hours at the bar. One Police officer reportedly said that the others were drunk. So, unless they were drinking pretty good before they arrived (and drove there under the influence), it would take these Large men some time to get intoxicated. If you factor in the fact that the place isn't that big (I've been in Sport's Bars four times as big), and the group was there for some time - to me, it makes it extremely unlikely that people described as regulars - traveling to another city - totally avoid and are unaware of the other DPD officers in a Bar that isn't crowded. I spoke with an employee that was present that night - and I was told it wasn't busy. Steady - not crowded, I was told.
Some of the people working at the bar knew these guys were DPD, too. They are regulars supposedly. Even if two groups of men drinking moved in perfect synchronization to precisely avoid each other (all but impossible, IMO), the Manager or receptionist may have said - 'Did you see who's over there?'
So, this statement below makes me extremely suspiciuos. I wonder why someone didn't want to be indentified as being there that night - or even have their name connected to the incident, because ostensibly any investigation would have cleared this uninvolved group.
"Investigators know that there were other Durham officers in the bar "who were not involved in this incident and DIDN'T KNOW there were other officers present," Hodge said."
http://www.heraldsun.com/durham/4-755378.html Location
I've been there before, but thought things may have changed.
The place is pretty nice and it's in a nice area. The outside is lit up - not dark in the least. You have no trouble seeing in the area of the alleged assault.
One of the employees I spoke with, whom was there the night of the incident, walked outside with me and showed me exactly where it happened. I was surprised by how small the area was. I had envisioned a parking lot and the empty spaces behind the building, but that's not how it is. There's a parking lot on both sides, however, it funnels into a two lane "driveway" in the area where the incident occurred. On both sides of the walkway and door where the cook was, there is this two lane driveway - just wide enough for two cars to pass each other. This area is well lighted and the employee confirmed that it was the same way on the night of the incident (they didn't add lights or anything). The distance from where the employees stand and smoke on break to the street is small. It's maybe 9 ft of flat sidewalk and you're in that paved "driveway." The exit to the street where the truck sped out is pretty close too, closer than I had imagined. This is a fairly tight condensed space. The public road that you exit onto from that driveway is a small access road - and not 1 car went up or down that road the entire time I was out there. I can understand how people could surround someone pretty fast in these close quarters. Since the Parking Lots on both sides feed into this area, vehicles could have come from both directions - it's been reported that 4 cars were involved.
Incident
Not surprisingly the employees didn't want to speak to me. As soon as I said the Cook, they started looking around and changed demeanor. One employee told me they couldn't discuss it. The last employee I spoke with told me they weren't allowed "to disclose anything" and seemed perturbed.
One employee, with a little coaxing, acted like they were helping me with something else and spoke with me in a hused tone. The individual walked outside looked around and then quickly walked with me to the back of the building. I was shown the exact spot. The person said I've have to go back in and left abruptly. I looked around and then returned to the bar.
In a couple minutes, the employee returned and spoke with me further. I asked if (this person) knew who the Bald guy was. I got a coy expression and a look away and up. I wasn't getting an answer. I asked if (this person) knew who was driving the black truck - "Gary Lee, I think that's his name," was the reply. I said he's the guy that ripped his shirt off? and he/she nodded YES.
I ordered an appetizer and when the individual returned, I continued. I asked if he/she had been questioned by Police, Yes, I was told. I asked if he/she has spoken about the incident with the Cook - Yes, he/she replied.
I asked do you believe the Cook?, he/she replied, Yes - emphatically.
When the individual returned to table, I said, just one more question,since you've spoken with the Cook, what do you guys think about the Police investigation and arrests? The employee replied, "there's going to be more arrests, because it's all going to come out in court."
Should we believe this?
You decide. When I thought about it as I left, I remembered that only TWO of the men had retained lawyers (probably more post-arrests), but during the investigation, it was reported ONLY TWO of the men had retained Lawyers - Gottlieb and Gary Lee. They BOTH retained the same Legal firm.
This employee seems to think that Gary Lee was the Driver (big shirtless drunk guy allegedly). The Bald guy was the passenger in that vehicle - reportedly.
That report would put Gary Lee and a BALD Man in a black truck. It would have the BALD man yelling racial epithets and being the alleged Ring-leader.
It would have the BALD man poking the Cook and pointing/predicting/threatening that Gary Lee was going to attack him (allegedly) - and Gary Lee doing just that.
Then, out of 6 men, Gary Lee and Mark Gottlieb are the only to go out and retain lawyers - at the same law firm.
Does it make more sense now?
Link for Lee/Gottlieb retaining lawyers:
http://www.heraldsun.com/durham/4-756371.html DISCLAIMER: I don't know for sure what happened that night, and I can't vouch for the individual reports referenced. Everything said is alleged only.
Some of the info above is my opinion only.