BEAUMONT, Texas — One of Beaumont's newest restaurants is making claims of racism and an unlawful search by Beaumont Police.
On Monday afternoon Deonedre Moore, the owner of The Park on Calder, made the claims while holding a press conference outside Beaumont City Hall.
Problems for the new restaurant began with a deadly shooting just days after it opened in September 2023.
The fatal shooting led to security concerns.
Now Moore says the Beaumont Police Department is intentionally citing the restaurant for noise violations.
He also claims that Beaumont officers unlawfully searched The Park in connection with a DWI investigation.
The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission has confirmed to 12News that there is an ongoing investigation into The Park related to the recent DWI crash that injured a Beaumont Police officer.
The agency's "Target Responsibility for Alcohol Connected Emergencies team", or TRACE, has opened an investigation into the incident, a TABC spokesperson told 12News.
Moore says he believes the city is trying to shut him down.
"We've seen acts of, what I would call, racist efforts to try to come in and shut us down and try to find something wrong with our establishment" he Tuesday during the press conference.
"We've had constables working security at the time and the Beaumont Police Department have still come out and issued citations even when our doors are closed, there's no music playing, Moore also said.
After the press conference a group supporting The Park on Calder spoke out during the Beaumont City Council meeting reiterating calls of unfair treatment and racism by the police department.
The search of the restaurant that Moore complained about was part of a DWI investigation Beaumont Police Chief Jim Singletary told 12News Tuesday evening.
He categorically denies that his officers are targeting the establishment.
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This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.