***WARNING: VIDEO CONTAINS EXPLICIT AND OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE***
DAVENPORT, Iowa — Davenport Police have released body cam footage showing angry 11th Street Precinct owner John Wisor berating an officer, event organizers and city officials for not forcing QC Pridefest organizers to move a pair of port-a-potties used for medical testing further down the street from his business as they set up for the event on Friday, June 1.
Police were called to the scene near the corner of Mound and 11th streets on Friday after organizers alleged Wisor hurled homophobic slurs at them and threatened to “mess their s—” up if the portable facilities were not moved.
In the video the officer called to the scene tries to defuse the situation as Wisor continues to rant from the porch of his business.
Full unedited video:
When the officer tells Wisor that the event organizers had the proper permission and paperwork to place the facilities where they did on the street and suggests Wisor make any future complaints to his alderman, Wisor fired back.
“I do more s--- for this place and this is the f-----g s--- I get. Why the f--- should I give a s--- about this whole damn town if this is the way it’s goig to end up," he says on camera. "I don’t have to live in this s---hole. I’ve got enough money to move wherever I want. I want to do something nice down here and this is the s--- I get? What the f---- has this come to? Because they take it up the a—they can do whatever the f--- they want? Is that what it is?”
The officer reiterates that Wisor would need City Council action to make changes to the festival plans, warns him to not harass or call organizers derogatory names and then offers him some advice.
"Before I leave I’m going to give you some advice: Yelling and screaming at them isn’t going to do you any good," he said. "They’re well within their rights."
The 11th Street Precinct owner has been under fire on social media since reports of his tirade first went public this past weekend. Some have called for a boycott of his restaurant and bar at the corner of Mound and 11th and several area bands have withdrawn from gigs at the establishment.
Following the body camera footage being released, Wisor released an apology via media release. Here the statement is in its entirety:
As the owner of the 11th Street Precinct Bar and Grill, a businessman and resident of the Village of East Davenport, and resident of the city of Davenport, I am sorry that a shadow was cast over the events of Street Fest in the Village of East Davenport this past weekend. What was to be a celebration of inclusiveness became a show of divisiveness and misunderstanding. Admittedly, frustrations of feeling uninformed and excluded turned into some regrettable words and actions. For that, I deeply apologize to those whom I have offended. It is my hope that we are able to put these events of the past weekend behind us and that we can move forward, together.
As a gesture of good will, I will be immediately donating one thousand dollars ($1,000) to each of five (5) Quad Cities area charities. Those charities are The Project of The Quad Cities, The SMB Foundation for Families, King’s Harvest, the Jared Box Project, and The River Music Experience (RME). Additionally, I will be making a yearly donation of five thousand dollars ($5,000) to a local charity or charities. The recipient(s) will be announced each year on June 3.
The events of this past weekend have served to open a dialogue directed to the understanding of different life views among members of our community. I hope that we are all able to continue this dialogue in a positive and civil manner and that we can move to more inclusiveness and acceptance.
The staff at the 11th Street Precinct and myself have always strived to make our place welcoming to ALL and we will continue to welcome the diverse humans who come to be together, who come to celebrate, who come to enjoy life. ALL ARE WELCOME HERE.
Yours,
John Wisor
