Pi Pizzeria owner Chris Sommers is currently battling a barrage of negative Yelp reviews and other forms of harassment aimed at himself, his family, and his businesses.
He says much of the harassment has occurred since he began posting critical comments on social media about St. Louis police, following events that took place in the Central West End last Friday, September 15, the day it was announced that former police officer Jason Stockley would not be convicted for the fatal shooting of Anthony Lamar Smith.
Get a fresh take on the day’s top news
Subscribe to the St. Louis Daily newsletter for a smart, succinct guide to local news from award-winning journalists Sarah Fenske and Ryan Krull.
A group named Blues Lives Matter, which is described on its website as “a media company, founded and run entirely by active and retired law enforcement officers,” published an article on its site yesterday blasting Sommers’ critical comments of police and his support toward protesters. (SLM has put out a request for comment from the group.)
In a lengthy Facebook post, Sommers described his experience around 11:15 p.m., after he had seen peaceful protesters come and go in front of Pi in the Central West End. He and other employees handed out cups of water.
Sommers writes on Facebook that after the street cleared and he was about to head home, he saw “a wall of militarized police marching in line to our corner. It was immediately alarming because they were not pushing any protesters or clearing anyone from the street.”
He then describes how police continued to shoot pepper pellets “indiscriminately,” frightening his employees and restaurant guests. He also says they threw a tear gas canister at him, and after a man next to him threw it back, the police “crossed the street, rushing at me as I ran into my restaurant and barely got the door closed before they could break in. Yes, I had to lock down my restaurant for the first time from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. I then had to close the restaurant, buy dinner for remaining guests and ensure that my team, who were now all terrified from the gas and rush by the police, had a safe ride home.”
In a phone conversation this morning, Sommers tells SLM he felt “terrorized” by the incident. “It was just so uncalled for and so unnecessary,” he says.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department tells SLM that Sommers has not contacted the Internal Affairs Division to make a formal complaint. “We hold our officers to the highest standards of professionalism and any officer not meeting those standards will be held accountable,” spokeswoman Schron Jackson replied in an email.
Brant Baldanza, who owns The Tavern Kitchen & Bar near Pi, says he closed his restaurant at about 8:45 p.m. out of fear for his employees’ and guests’ safety from the protest. “You could sense that the tone of the protest was definitely changing,” he says. “There was no doubt about it. At that point, we made a call to close.”
At dusk, Baldanza says, he no longer saw families or protesters with poster-board signs. “They were carrying water jugs and milk jugs,” he says. “There were five or six people dressed in what looked like hockey gear or football pads. I looked at my general manager, and I said, ‘These guys are not dressed for what they’re calling a peaceful and non-violent protest.’”
Baldanza says he left the area at around 9:30 p.m., before Sommers’ incident, and did not feel comfortable commenting on it.
Although Sommers says he believes that there were some people in the protest crowd who “wanted it to get ugly,” he felt that police used excessive force given the situation at the time. In his Facebook post, he adds, “What I’ve experienced the past few days, however, is trivial when compared to what African-Americans do on a daily basis.”
After Friday’s events, Sommers took to social media to express his anger, which in turn brought blowback. Sommers says people have threatened him and his family; have called in fake $600 carry-out orders; and have left “blatant lies” on Yelp about cockroaches, rats, and bondage equipment found inside Pi locations.
Since Sommers posted his account of Friday night to Facebook, however, reactions have been “overwhelmingly positive,” he adds. “But there’s still a lot of hatred. A lot of people that know me and know my business know that we’ve been taking care of cops for years.” In his post, he mentions that police in uniform have eaten either for free or 50 percent off and that he donates to police-related nonprofits and events.
Sommers acknowledges that tensions are high and that “police have a right to be upset about a lot of things,” he says. “Unfortunately, I don’t think the heavy-handedness is isolated to a few bad eggs.”
Sommers also expresses gratitude for those who have reached out in support. “The St. Louis restaurant community has shown its best face, and that’s comforting and encouraging. I appreciate everybody who has reached out to me,” he says. “People I know and complete strangers have reached out to say thank you for what we’re doing and sorry for what we’re experiencing. And for that, I’m eternally grateful.”
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to include a statement from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
