Police give Josh Slocums overcrowding citation

Police on Saturday night issued an overcrowding citation to a Newport

Beach restaurant that former NBA star Dennis Rodman co-owns after the

maximum capacity doubled, said Newport Beach Police Sgt. Mike McDermott.

Officers went to Josh Slocums after receiving an 11:30 p.m. call, he

said. There, they counted 266 patrons, double the 133-person capacity,

McDermott said.

The restaurant’s security and bar staff helped officers empty the

restaurant without resistance. Officers then allowed people back in one

at a time until it reached 133, McDermott said.

“The security staff was very cooperative; they shuffled people in and

out,” he said.

Rodman, who was at the restaurant, complained that the citation was

not fair but didn’t interfere with officers, McDermott said.

The manager will now have to go to court and pay a fine, determined by

the judge, said Newport Beach Police Sgt. Trent Harris.

The eatery’s manager working Saturday could not be reached for

comment.

In January, Rodman was arrested at the restaurant for obstructing an

investigation when he allegedly barred police from entering it for 35

minutes. Police suspected that alcohol was illegally being served after 2

a.m.