Angry Bull Saloon Issues Statement After College Student's Fatal Fall From Rooftop

HARTFORD, CT — The bar where an 18-year-old college freshman fell to her death from the building’s roof has issued a statement and said it voluntarily surrendered its liquor permit “out of respect for the family of the deceased in this difficult time.”

The Angry Bull Saloon issued the statement on its Facebook page late Friday, or about 23 hours after Taylor Lavoie, a 2016 graduate of East Granby High School who was attending Central Connecticut State University, was found unresponsive in an alley next to the Angry Bull Saloon on Allyn Street in Hartford and she was pronounced dead at 12:45 a.m., Deputy Police Chief Brian Foley said.

Investigation has indicated Lavoie was on the roof of the building and fell four stories to the alley below. The Hartford Police Major Crimes Division and the Crime Scene Division are investigating this as an untimely death, Foley said.

Lavoie is believed to have been in the Angry Bull prior to her death, according to Foley. In the statement on its Facebook page the Angry Bull Saloon states it is “devastated by the loss of life of this young college student.”

• See related: Victim Identified In Fatal Fall From Hartford Rooftop

“We are a popular downtown establishment located in the entertainment district with other popular venues, serving patrons over the age of 21. We consistently have several members of our security staff outside the entry door of the establishment to ensure all patrons are checked for proper identification stating they are 21 or above,” the statement reads. “In addition, all areas of the establishment, located on the ground and second floor of the five story building, are consistently patrolled by numerous security staff members to ensure the safety of patrons.”

The Angry Bull Saloon in its statement stressed it has “never been found in violation, fined, or had any disciplinary action taken against it despite routine and surprise undercover inspections by Liquor Control Agents and members of the Hartford Police Department.”

The bar also explained in its statement that the area where Lavoie accessed is “not part of the permitted premises and are known as empty warehouse space belonging to the building owner.”

“To access the roof, a person must go up a stairwell from the second floor area through a fully blocking curtain, which indicates a blocked/off limits area,” The Angry Bull Saloon states. “The roof access requires someone to go up two floors of abandoned space, continue to a ladder structure, climb it to a hatchway, then enter the roof through a small doorway area.”

During the time that the liquor permit is suspended the “establishment will use that time to review procedures and the incident with the Hartford Police Department and Department of Consumer Protection. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the deceased,” the statement concludes.

With reporting by Tim Jensen, Patch Editor

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