Nightclub Owners Provide Report of June 4 Incident

WILDWOOD — The following is an edited witness report provided by owners of Club Luna regarding the June 4 stabbing of Jeremy Bass reported here July 6:
“On or about 1 a.m. on Sat., June 4, 2011, Jeremy Bass was seen by the security staff of Club Luna grab a female patron’s buttocks. The female patron’s boyfriend or friend pushed him away from her and Bass responded by punching the man in the face.
“Security responded immediately when Bass punched the male patron and promptly escorted Bass out of the club. Once outside, Bass was yelling loudly and saying threatening things and security asked him to leave the premises and go home. This occurred approximately 1:05 a.m.
“He (Bass) proceeded to walk north on the 3700 block of Pacific Avenue where he was observed by Club Luna security going into a pizza shop and was not seen the rest of the night at Club Luna.
“At no point did the patrons that were struck by Bass leave Club Luna, nor were they asked to leave by security because the incident that happened inside the club at 1 a.m. was not prompted by them and was clearly not their fault.
“At 3 a.m. on June 4, Club Luna was closing and all patrons were exiting from the front doors on Garfield and Pacific avenues; where there are at least four security people and one manager during club discharge.
“As the previously assaulted patrons, both male and female, exited Club Luna, they proceeded into the street on Pacific Avenue heading south when they stopped to wait for the rest of their friends to exit the club. There were two males and three females in the street with the male patron facing south on Pacific Avenue when Jeremy Bass came rushing towards them from the direction of the 3700 block of Pacific Avenue.
“This occurred approximately 3:05 a.m.
“When Bass arrived where the male and female patrons were standing, he punched the male patron from behind and knocked him to the ground and proceeded tobatter him. Quickly, one of the females in the patron’s group tried to get Bass off the male, and Bass consequently punched her in the face and knocked her down as well. It was at this point Wildwood police arrived after being summoned and Luna security identified Bass as the initial attacker.
“Wildwood police escorted Bass to the other side of the building on Garfield Avenue where they proceeded to search him and then arrest him; when they found that he was bleeding during the search. Police called for an ambulance. Wildwood police questioned numerous individuals that were present on Pacific Avenue during the incident, and police proceeded to search for a weapon to no avail. No weapon was ever found on any of the individuals or the surrounding areas.
“Promptly following the unfortunate incident, Club Luna staff returned to the club to finish cleaning and go home for the evening.”
“Several generalized statements about Club Luna and the City of Wildwood were made in the initial reported events by individuals that were not present at the incident or in the city.
“As a result of the reported opinions rather than fact, Luna owners and their staff felt it was their due diligence to report the incident to the press as the same account that they reported to the Wildwood Police Department.
“The statement of eye witness accounts of the actual events on June 4 contained seven names of Club Luna staff including four listed as security, a manager, a consultant and patron and a disc jockey.”