CARTERVILLE (WSIL) -- A fight at Club 262, also known as, "Foreign’s Playland" resulted in the arrest of one person early Sunday morning.
The Williamson County Sheriff's Department along with several officers from surrounded departments responded to a report of a large fight ongoing during the early morning hours of June 11 at 10032 Samuel Road in Carterville.
According to the Sheriff's Office, when deputies arrived, they observed approximately 75 to 100 people in the parking lot, many of whom were yelling and screaming and appeared to be intoxicated. Deputies also observed alcoholic containers on the ground and smelled marijuana.
An investigation discovered that a verbal altercation began inside the business which resulted in multiple individuals relocating to the parking lot to settle the dispute. Once outside, the situation escalated with a physical fight erupting.
While on scene, police attempted to detain Jocelyn M Thomas, who was pulling away and resisting officers. Police say that Thomas ignored verbal commands to place her hands behind her back and was verbally combative and aggressive to bystanders and other officers. She appeared to be drunk and had admitted to consuming alcohol. Thomas was cited for "resisting peace officer" and booked into the Williamson County Jail.
Police spoke with the owner of Club 262, Sierra N. Alderton, who told them that all involved parties were family and had gone outside outside to settle an argument. Alderton told police that she was unaware of any large fight in the parking lot and that Club 262 would be closing for the evening after this incident.
This is not the first incident involving police at Club 262. An investigation in April resulted in the Williamson County State’s Attorney charging Alderton and Akeem L. Perry with "manufacturing/selling liquor without a license", a class 4 felony. The charges came after dozens of calls to the Club 262 facility. Law enforcement said there was a total of 43 calls for service, including five of those calls with reports of shots fired, including one on April 8 where one person was shot in the chest during a gunfight.
Two face alcohol sale charges in activities related to Club 262 in Williamson County
“Unlicensed liquor establishments are a growing concern in Williamson County," said sheriff Jeff Diederich. "These establishments have been observed to have large numbers of patrons which arrive in mass around 2am and often continue to operate until 6 or 7am. These activities are in direct contrast to those who hold lawful liquor licenses and together with the history of disturbances, loud noise complaints, fights, shootings, and other calls for service they continue to challenge the public safety of our community�.
Petty and Alderton are scheduled to appear in Williamson County Circuit Court on July 17, 2023, at 1:15pm for a preliminary hearing.
