Richmond Heights Council Moves to Revoke Nightclub License After Unusual Incident

Richmond Heights City Council passed a resolution Tuesday asking the state to deny the liquor license renewal for Parallel Lounge when it comes up in October, citing repeated incidents including women twerking on a police cruiser.

The council action came during the Aug. 27 meeting after police reported they have been called to the Wilson Mills Road establishment 144 times since February 2024.

The incident that gained widespread attention occurred in the early morning hours of June 29 when officers were assisting with crowd control as the nightclub closed. Dashboard camera footage captured approximately 10 women swarming a police cruiser in the parking lot, with three climbing onto the hood to dance and twerk.

“Officers drove through the Parallel Lounge parking lot at Hilltop Plaza around 2 a.m. June 29 to assist patrons with exiting the business at closing time,” according to police reports. “Three of the women got onto the hood of the cruiser and began dancing and twerking. Another officer approached to assist, and all the women fled in different directions into much larger crowds of people.”

The dancing caused damage to the patrol car, including “a small dent and a little crease” and “a pretty significant scratch,” police said.

Richmond Heights Police used facial recognition technology through the Northeast Ohio Regional Fusion Center to identify the women involved. The department utilized Clearview AI software, which “searches social media accounts and other databases to confirm identities.”

Two suspects were ultimately charged with rioting and criminal damaging in connection with the incident.

The resolution passed by council does not immediately revoke the establishment’s license but asks the Ohio Division of Liquor Control to deny renewal when the license expires in October. The state agency will make the final determination on the establishment’s operating status.

Council members cited the pattern of incidents requiring police response as justification for the action, with the twerking incident serving as a prominent example of ongoing problems at the location.