Co-owner of popular midtown Phoenix bar arrested, sparking community outrage

Brett Boyles, one of three co-owners of Thunderbird Lounge, was arrested on Tuesday, Sept. 14.

Boyles co-owns the popular '70s-themed Melrose District bar with Jeremiah Gratza and Jacob Wiedman.

Phoenix police arrested Boyles on Sept. 14 and charged him with assault, according to a spokesperson for the police department.

He was booked with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office for "Assault-Intent/Reckless/Injure," according to a Sheriff's Office spokesperson, who also confirmed that his bail was paid and he is no longer in custody. 

Chad David Shearer, the public relations representative for Thunderbird Lounge for matters related to Boyles' arrest, confirmed that the arrest did not take place at the bar. 

Why was Boyles arrested?

According to a probable cause statement filed by police with the Phoenix Municipal Court, on the night of the arrest, police responded to a call from a woman who needed help at the residence she shared with her ex-boyfriend. 

When police arrived, the woman told police that she and Boyles had been in a two year relationship that ended two months earlier. She was at the residence to move her things out when Boyles returned home "intoxicated and being belligerent," the police report states. 

The woman told police that due to prior experiences with Boyles, she started recording a video of him on her phone. Boyles assaulted her and tried to break her phone. He hit her arms, threw her to the ground and bit her face. The woman managed to get outside and called her ex-husband, who called the police.

Police recorded an injury to the left side of her face and scratch marks on both of her arms. 

The woman showed the police the video she had recorded and officers interviewed Boyles, who stated the fight was only verbal. Police concluded the interview, noting that Boyles failed to cooperate with the investigation, then arrested and booked him on one count of domestic violence assault. 

How the arrest shook the bar's community 

News of the arrest quickly circulated on social media, causing an outcry from many previous Thunderbird fans who called on their friends and followers to boycott the bar.

Thunderbird Lounge responded to the news with a statement posted online on Sept. 15 that reads:

"Thunderbird Lounge is reviewing the allegations brought against one of our team members. In the meantime they will be on indefinite leave from Thunderbird Lounge.

Thunderbird Lounge has always prided itself on being a friendly neighborhood bar and a safe space for its patrons, and with take appropriate measures to continue this tradition."

Reactions to the news and speculations on details of the arrest continue to circulate on social media.

One of the questions brought up online was whether Boyles will continue to financially benefit from his co-ownership in the bar. Shearer explained that as the arrest happened only days earlier, as of now, Boyles is still financially tied to the business. 

"For obvious reasons, he is not part of making any decisions," Shearer said. "Until this is resolved one way or the other, he is for all practical purposes a silent partner."

Shearer explained that the team at Thunderbird are examining how the co-owner's arrest will impact the business. They have no details to share on planned steps forward at this point. 

As of Sept. 29, the bar owners explained through a statement that there are no further developments concerning Boyles' involvement in the bar's ownership.

"Given that this is a legal matter that is ongoing, they have been advised to not comment beyond saying that they are exploring all their options," Shearer wrote on behalf of the bar. "They want people to know they are going through the processes, they are taking everything into account and going to move forward from there." 

This is a developing story that will be updated.

Reach the reporter at tirion.morris@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on Twitter at @tirionmorris, on Facebook at Tirion Rose and on Instagram at tirionrose. 

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