SAN ANGELO, TX — Friday night, fight club promoter Anthony Camp was arrested at his seventh public fight event at the Koronazz private venue at 4611 S. Jackson St. and charged with Disorderly Conduct – Affray. The charge is a Class C misdemeanor punishable with a $500 fine. Camp posted a bond for $442 and was released the same day.
Camp promotes amateur fights at various club locations. The series of fight nights began at Club El Patron at 1616 S. Chadbourne St. a few months ago. Camp provides the octagon-shaped fenced fighting ring and said the participants wear gloves, albeit thin ones.
What brought attention to Camp’s fight night events was his sixth event drew the ire of neighboring businesses and residents Saturday night, October 14 at Club Studio near the Angelo State University campus at 2408 Vanderventer. Facing heat from law enforcement we were told, El Patron refused to hold another fight night event promoted by Camp. So, Camp moved his fight night to Club Studio
Citizens in the Vanderventer area were concerned about what they said were gunfire, fights, and possibly sex happening in the parking lot during and after the events. The fight nights are quite popular, with parking overflowing from the Club Studio’s shopping center to nearby apartment complex parking lots.
Watch: A video promoting his fight nights as posted on social media:
That Saturday night at Club Studio, police didn’t arrest anyone for shooting a gun. And, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission said they were unable to intervene because the location of Club Studio didn’t have a liquor license.
A side note: We reported that a promoter of the Club Studio event was a former Angelo State basketball player named Kiair Crouch whose social media accounts were distributing advertisements for the event held on Oct. 14. After we published the story, Camp came forward claiming to be the primary promoter in comment threads on Facebook.
“Because this location does not hold a TABC permit, the agency would not investigate activities there unless specifically requested to do so by local authorities. As the state’s alcohol regulator, TABC’s primary mission is policing businesses which hold permits to sell, manufacture, or distribute alcohol, a BYOB operation is not under the agency’s purview. Activities at non-licensed locations are generally investigated by local authorities,” wrote Chris Porter, spokesman for the TABC in Austin, in an email to our inquiry.
San Angelo Police Department spokeswoman Cpl. Tracy Piatt-Fox said police did not investigate a shots fired incident that night. Neither was gunfire reported, according to police records, she said. One male was arrested for public intoxication.
Regardless, the publicity of the fight night at Club Studio may have been the catalyst for the promoter, Camp, to find a yet another new location. He found Kornazz owned by proprietor Henry Hogeda, Jr. for last Friday night’s event. The difference between the former location, Club Studio, and Kornazz was that Koranazz has a TABC license to sell alcohol.
On Friday, San Angelo police and the TABC performed a raid on Koronazz at approximately 11:45 p.m. That is where and when Camp was arrested.
At the scene, SAPD Sgt. Jeremy Canady told us the fights are illegal and unsanctioned by the laws of the State.
"It’s the same as any other fight in a bar,” Cannady said. “They are committing a Class C offense. In this case the promoter was complicit in the offense. Anthony Camp was arrested. One fighter apparently figured out what was going very quickly and vanished. Another received a citation. He didn't realize what he was doing was wrong. [But] there were no medics, no license, no safety equipment."
See: WATCH: Promoter Arrested as Police Bust Illegal Fight Club in Local Bar
Anthony Camp arrested
Anthony Camp arrested
TABC spokesman Porter elaborated on his agency’s enforcement parameters in an email on Monday.
“In general, allowing fights or violence at a TABC-licensed location is a violation of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code, which requires permit holders to maintain the peace within their place of business,” Porter wrote. “While there are exceptions for sporting events, those events must be duly licensed by the relevant state and local authorities. If a fight was held without the proper licensing, that could constitute a Breach of the Peace, which would require a TABC investigation.”
The regulating body for sport fighting in the state is the Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation. TDLR Spokeswoman Tela Mange told us fight nights like what Camp was accused of orchestrating are illegal.
“Professional combative sports contestants, promoters, referees, judges, seconds, matchmakers, managers, and event coordinators who officiate or participate in a regulated professional event must be licensed in Texas. Referees who officiate at regulated amateur events also must be licensed or registered by the TDLR executive director. Anyone wanting to act as an event promoter must put up two surety bonds of $15,000 each,” she told us.
“Promoters must make sure that all contestants scheduled to participate are licensed before the event; provide that an ambulance, serviced by at least two emergency medical technicians, is present on the premises where the event is held; provide for at least two physicians to be present during the event; provide for a physical examination of each contestant that complies with TDLR rules; and comply with all TDLR combative sports rules,” she said.
We saw no ambulances on location standing by at either the Oct. 15 event at Club Studio or Friday’s event at Koronazz.
In social media posts, Camp defends his fights as wholesome entertainment designed to allow participants to settle their differences inside the octagon ring. Camp said his fights are not amateur or professional sporting events. Rather, they are “novelty fights” and should remain unregulated by the TDLR.
He cited Texas Statutes 22.01 and 22.06 that offer consent to fight as an adequate defense against assault charges by participants and organizers. The statutes assert consent of the victim as an affirmative defense during prosecution as long as serious bodily injury is not inflicted and the fight is not gang related.
What constitutes serious bodily injury in a Texas courtroom makes conviction a gamble for participants and organizers. This is because consent is not an adequate defense if serious bodily injury is inflicted.
The bloodied mouth of a fight night participant identified as Christina following one of Camp's fights. (Screenshot from Camp's promotional video)
What is serious bodily injury? Section 1.07 of the Texas Penal Code defines it as, "bodily injury that creates a substantial risk of death or that causes death, serious permanent disfigurement, or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ."
Luckily for the organizer and participants, assault charges were not made Friday night. Camp is only charged with a Class C misdemeanor of disorderly conduct. The case will likely be heard in municipal court. Camp refused to elaborate further citing ongoing conversations with his legal team.
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Comments
Looks like they had everything under control and stopped the fights when it was necessary. Good job for thinking outside the box... hope you win your case!
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PermalinkDon't get in a bar fight with braces on your teeth...
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PermalinkTheir little fight club has been exposed and the city is watching. Their only option now is to go truly underground, on private property that does not sell liquor like someones house or barn. This should be a way to keep it going, until someone gets hurt and lawyers get involved, which is inevitable.
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PermalinkThis is ridiculous that it's even being brought up again, the gloves were 16 oz training boxing gloves there literally aren't thicker gloves. And it's a boxing match with a ref and a ring while still not legal it was far from brawls
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