Albuquerque –
On Monday, April 29th, 2024, we observed New Mexico State Police arriving in unmarked police vehicles at the Knockout’s Gentlemen’s Club. Their intent was unknown at the time but a source close to the business said police were there to serve the strip club again. From what we could see during a very brief 10 minute visit, New Mexico State Police officers walked inside the business with paperwork and very quickly walked out and drove away.
On Monday, the New Mexico State Police were observed entering the club and apparently serving the business with cease and desist paperwork. The Alcoholic Beverage Control, which is under purview of the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, were also on scene.
The strip club is owned by G-12 Entertainment and has been fighting in the courts to stay open. The appeals were against the City of Albuquerque who were trying to revoke their business license. G-12 is being represented by the Kennedy, Hernandez, and Harrison legal team. We reached out for comment on this new development and did not hear back at the time of publishing this story.
ABQ RAW went into Knockout’s after the State Police, and we saw a few employees removing alcohol bottles and apparently packing it up. The club did not appear to have have any customers on Monday afternoon but we could smell a hint of cheap perfume and many nasty secrets filling the air. We asked a female manager if they wanted to comment on the visit from State Police and they said not at this time but that they appreciate us.
The City of Albuquerque, led by Mayor Tim Keller, has had their sights on shutting down Knockout’s for a very long time. The Mayor’s rationale stems from a surge in violent crime, encompassing homicides and altercations within the club.
We will update the story when we have more information.
Past Incidents at 2023 at Knockout’s Include:
According to APD, officers downtown responded shortly after 1:30 a.m on December 19, 2023, to reports of a shooting at Knockouts Gentleman’s Club, situated at 311 Central Ave. N.W. Upon arrival, they discovered an adult male with a gunshot wound, who was pronounced deceased by medical personnel. At the scene, an adult male with numerous tattoos was observed lying at the main entrance of the strip club. City signs posted nearby indicated the area as a school zone subject to federal firearms restrictions. APD has detained one person of interest in connection with the shooting, but it remains unclear whether they will face both federal and state charges for the homicide due to its occurrence in a school zone. A 16-year-old was arrested for this homicide. It is unknown how the 16-year-old was allowed inside of the club or how he obtained a firearm.
In the early hours of August 21, 2023, chaos erupted on Central Avenue when a night of revelry at Knockouts, a local strip club, turned violent. Responding to reports of a fight, the Albuquerque Police Department arrived at the scene to find combatants engaged in a physical altercation. Despite intervention, the calm was short-lived as gunfire erupted from a silver BMW, injuring bystanders and damaging vehicles. Swift action by an APD officer led to the apprehension of the suspects, one of whom, Ramon Ash, was found in possession of a handgun. Despite injuries sustained during the altercation, Ash was taken into custody and booked on multiple charges. The incident occurred in a designated School Zone area, highlighting Mayor Tim Keller and APD Police Chief Harold Medina’s efforts to combat gun crimes downtown. However, it remains uncertain whether federal charges will be filed in response to this act of gun violence in a school zone.
It is unfortunate – that one of the only remaining businesses, of any long standing is under such scrutiny. I have been a patron, as a friend, and it has been a place of comfort.
The drink prices were abominable, the bathrooms beleaguered and the paint outside was truly sh*t. This is true throughout downtown, so they cannot be truly faulted – however, regardless of these failings, they have been steadfast in seeking to removing the worst elements among the wretched, miserable – as myself, but to be an effigy for the self-serious, rotten, Scarface adoration which has passed through its walls.
So it goes.
May it join the others, in the cenotaph of Route 66. Please knock it down a make a small park, as to break up the beige strip of vomit and sadness. F*ck all if we need another parking lot.
Russell Fain
P.s. – taxes on parking lots should be rated, governed by data gathered from the parking meters. Bring back the sanitarium. Alvarado Station is not a station – it is a promise to failure.