The Manhattan Times

NYPD shuts down Keenan’s Bar

by Daniel P. Bader

Police have arrested a patron of Keenan’s Bar and shut down the establishment after officers executing a warrant found cocaine in the Broadway and W. 204th Street pub.

Deputy Inspector Andrew Capul, commander of the 34th Police Precinct, said the NYPD Narcotics Division executed two warrants, one on the suspect’s apartment and one for the bar over the weekend of Nov. 20 to 23.

Capul did not have the suspect’s name immediately available, but said detectives found cocaine in the alleged seller’s apartment and in the basement of Keenan’s.

Police suspect that employees of the bar were either involved with sales of the illegal drug from the bar, or at the least turned a blind eye to the activity.

“It’s very possible there may have been employees involved as well,” Capul said.

After the patron was arrested, the NYPD Civil Enforcement Unit went to court to have Keenan’s temporarily closed on Tue., Nov. 24.

On Mon., Nov. 30 the bar was dark through the windows and brightly colored NYPD signs were joined by a handwritten sign that read “closed for renovations.”

According to the State Liquor Authority’s Web site the bar is owned by William Keenan.

Attempts to reach Mr. Keenan were unsuccessful by press time.

Over the years Keenan’s had attracted a devoted following of musicians who played the weekly open mic nights.