Updated on Feb. 19 at 6:38 p.m. to include information provided by Humphrey’s management. A previous version of the story named the bar owner but the name has been removed at the request of the individual.
After the Mardi Gras parade, a physical altercation unfolded outside the local bar, Humphrey’s Restaurant and Tavern, involving the owners of the establishment and a male customer.
The altercation on Feb. 10 took place after a man, who remains unidentified, was kicked out of the bar due to allegedly being aggressive towards a woman in the women’s bathroom.
The assault on the beloved bar’s staff drew outrage from SLU students following a now-deleted Instagram post with the alleged perpetrator’s face.
Jackie Barnes, a Saint Louis University student, entered the women’s restroom with her friend to find both a man and a woman in the same stall.
“We quickly became worried that this was an unsafe and non-consensual situation,” Barnes said.
Barnes expressed unease about sharing specific, intimate details regarding their suspicions of assault, emphasizing respect for the privacy of the woman directly involved.
Earlier, another witness, choosing to remain anonymous, also noticed two people in the bathroom stall.
“Whoever it was had on black Air Forces that you could see under the stall, so at first we were just so confused as to who it was, so we just kept a lookout for a guy wearing black Air Forces,” the anonymous student said.
Barnes said she intervened in the situation, forcing the man to leave the bathroom.
“When we told him to leave the bathroom, he had the other person’s phone in his hand and my friend took it back to give it back to them,” Barnes said.
The anonymous witness said they later observed a man fitting the description near the bar and saw the woman crying with a group of friends around her.
“Sometime later, one of my friends said she heard the guy in the air forces tell the crying girl ‘I’m sorry,’” the anonymous witness said.
Following the man’s departure from the restroom, Barnes said she alerted Humphrey’s staff, who acted decisively.
“After we told the manager, he asked for a description of the man we saw in the bathroom, and a few minutes later, he came back to ask us if we could confirm the person. Once we confirmed it was the guy who had assaulted someone in the bathroom, he was kicked out of the bar,” Barnes said.
After leaving the establishment, however, the situation escalated into the street between the man and a male Humphreys’ manager, alongside a bouncer. That’s when an owner of Humphrey’s stepped in.
“Once they were outside, the man from the bathroom started to fight with one of the male owners, and that’s when the female owner stepped in to presumably de-escalate the situation. However, when she got close to the man, he punched her in the face so hard that her head flung backward,” Barnes said.
In a video obtained by the University News, the man could be seen punching members of the staff before the owner ran to separate them. The man then punches the owner in the face.
The altercation ended when the assailant fled down the street. The staff were able to stand up and walk back inside.
There was no police presence following the fight, and despite the physical altercation and the involvement of multiple parties near campus, no Department of Public Safety report has been recorded on the SLU fire and crime log.
After the incident, Humphrey’s posted an Instagram photo with the caption, “THIS GUY PUNCHED A GIRL IN THE FACE TODAY,” which quickly circulated within the SLU community. They deleted the post from their Instagram account less than a day later.
According to Humphrey’s management, they are looking into the situation.
“We work very hard to keep our staff and guests safe every day,” said the Humphrey’s ownership team. If anyone has information about the incident please contact the restaurant.
