The cops want bar owners to be diligent about checking IDs at the door — unless, that is, the patron in question is an undercover officer.
In June 2006, Wayne Ryan of Nick’s Food & Spirits in Bellows Falls denied entry to State Trooper Eric Vitali, who was operating undercover and did not show the owner his ID. Ryan, who walks with a cane, put his hands on Vitali’s shoulders and moved him bodily toward the exit.
A few days later, he was arrested and charged with impeding an officer, but the charges were quickly dropped.
Ryan sued, and this week he won a written apology from the village and a $22,500 settlement from the Vermont League of Cities and Towns. He still has a suit pending against Vitali and the state police.
This article appears in Jan 28 – Feb 3, 2009.
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