Club owner, citizens arrested in connection with Ashburn fight

ASHBURN -- Ashburn police officers along with Turner County deputies arrested four people in connection with a recent fight near the Traffic Light Club early Wednesday morning including club owner Tino Burgess.

Ashburn Police Chief Ben Sumner said that the arrests came as part of a massive sweep across the town serving warrants. Several other arrests are pending.

The arrests stem from an incident that occurred near the Traffic Light Club in the early morning hours of August 2 which resulted in one arrest and a severe facial injury to a state trooper.

In a press release issued by the Ashburn Police Department, the department says that officers responded to a call at the Traffic Light Club and that, while at the club, the crowd became unruly and violent after Georgia State Patrol Trooper Cal Pipkin made an arrest.

"At that point," the release says, "the crowd turned violent toward the officers and attempted to grab the arrested subject away from the officers. The crowd also began throwing bottles and other items at the officers and it was at this time that Trooper Pipkin was struck in the face with a bottle, which caused a serious injury to Pipkin's eye."

Arrested Wednesday were club owner Tino Burgess, who was charged with obstruction of law enforcement officers; Edwards Pete Walker, for three counts of obstruction of law officers, inciting a riot and interference with government property; Tondra Terry, for obstruction of law enforcement officers; and Clay Walker Jr., for obstruction of law enforcement officers.

In a town hall meeting held just before the August Ashburn City Council Meeting, Burgess, his father Turner County Commissioner Joe Burgess and many other concerned citizens addressed the councilmen.

In his statement to commissioners, Tino Burgess said he wanted to know why Ashburn Police Officials came to his club, when the fight happened somewhere else.

"My main concern, our main concern, is why the police showed up to my club in the first place," Tino said. "There had been a fight, but it was up the street and down the block from my club, but when the cops came, they came straight to my club."

Tino's father stood before the council and held up a 911 log from between 12 p.m. Saturday and 12:05 p.m. Sunday in order to show the group that no one called the police in reference to a fight at the Traffic Light Club in those hours.

However, a 911 dispatch card obtained by the Tifton Gazette on Wednesday shows that at 12:12 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 2, Turner County 911 received an anonymous call reporting a fight with weapons at the Traffic Light Club.

Sgt. Ronald Warren, Post Commander of the Cordele GSP Post told the Gazette in an interview last Friday that Trooper Pipkin got involved after receiving calls to assist from Ashburn Police. Pipkin had been in the area when he responded to the call.

Sumner said Wednesday that more arrests are pending.