[Ed. Note, Thursday, November 15, 7:20 p.m.: For a more detailed account of the incident at the Gargoyle, including an update on the student tased and what has happened in the intervening week, please see this blogpost. -- Annie Zaleski]
A man was tased at Friday evening’s Girl Talk concert at Washington University’s Gargoyle Club after resisting arrest and taking his clothes off.
According to a Gargoyle Student Committee member and other eyewitnesses, trouble began when the man was asked to leave by concert security. When he resisted, the police were summoned. According witnesses, police asked the man, who was topless, to put his shirt back on. He then began to remove his pants. Witnesses say police then seized the man and began handcuffing him. When he resisted a taser was used, an officer on the scene confirmed.
“He was tased in the ass for a prolonged period of time,” one female witness stated. “It was terrible.”
After the incident, the lights in the Gargoyle, which is a room in the basement of Washington University’s student center on Forsyth Avenue, were turned on. Gargoyle Student Committee members asked the crowd to leave immediately and notified that police were on their way. An explanation for the abrupt ending was not given.
Confused and sweaty concertgoers slowly headed for the exits and a large crowd gathered just outside the door. Several people yelled at the police officers standing near the exits, “Don’t taze me bro,” and “You serve us.”
An incredulous and sweat-drenched Gregg Gillis (whose DJ name is Girl Talk), unaware of what had happened, took the microphone after the lights went up and said, “What the fuck St. Louis? That was a really uncool way to end the show. How late can I play till?”
After learning he was done for the night the mash-up DJ said, “Somebody tell me where I’m playing right now. Who has a PA at their house? I’m going to play all night.”
One audience member spoke up and Gillis said, “We’re going to Sammy’s house,” and left the stage.
All told, the sold-out show lasted less than hour and was plagued by sound problems. Twice fans dancing on the stage with Gillis stepped on and disconnected the cords that powered the amplifiers. Many people had waited in line for more than hour in hopes of getting last-minute tickets to the show.
We’ll have more details, including the police report on the incident, when they become available.
