Jin Asian Restaurant will be called in for a show-cause hearing after numerous fights broke out at the Orchid Nightclub, Restaurant & Lounge located inside the sprawling complex early New Year’s Day.

Reports of multiple fights on the second floor forced Saugus Police to dispatch its entire division to Orchid shortly before 1 a.m. during a New Year’s Eve celebration, said Police Chief Domenic DiMella.

Responding officers encountered more than 1,000 patrons and multiple fights in the front lobby by the coat check and upstairs, DiMella said.

Officers managed to make several arrests, but requested further assistance due to the large crowd size and the fact additional fights started.

A total of four Saugus officers left other detail assignments in town to lend assistance. They were joined by five State Police troopers, seven Lynn officers, three officers each from Melrose, Malden and Chelsea and individual cruisers from Wakefield and Lynnfield.

During the melee patrons “jumped” police officers who attempted to break up the fights, DiMella reported.

Although no serious injuries were reported, one patrolman emerged from the fracas sporting a black eye and a woman spit in the face of a Lynn police officer.

“It was a chaotic situation that got completely out of control,” DiMella said.

With the help of mutual aid, police subdued the crowd and funneled all of the patrons out of Orchid by 2:40 a.m. The sergeant in charge cited the nightclub for violating its liquor license regulations that require all customers off the property by 2 a.m.

By the end of the night officers placed four people under arrest and placed two patrons into protective custody.

Those arrested included James Daniel Kalloger, Fernwood Avenue, Lynn, disorderly conduct; Jonathan Jackson, Chestnut Avenue, Lynn, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest; David Gonzales, Huron Street, Lynn, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest; and Nicole Bairos, Benton Road, Somerville, disorderly conduct, assault and battery on a police officer and resisting arrest.

DiMella praised surrounding communities for sending enough officers to disperse the crowd and to allow peace to be restored.

Two unrelated calls requesting police assistance — including a possible suicidal woman — went unanswered or delayed while Saugus officers were tied up at Orchid, DiMella said.

One of the Saugus patrolmen called to the nightclub had to be released from duties to handle the report of a female threatening to harm herself.

“The public and officers were put in danger, we simply can’t tolerate this sort of incident,” DiMella said.

Show-cause hearing scheduled

After reviewing the reports DiMella recommended the selectmen convene a show-cause hearing to determine if Jin Asian Restaurant should be punished for alleged liquor license violations.

Specifically, DiMella asserted Jin violated the town bylaw requiring all patrons to be off the licensed premises by 2 a.m. He added the establishment also failed to protect employees, patrons and/or members of the public from serious threats to public health, safety and welfare.

On Tuesday the selectmen voted 3-0 to support DiMella’s recommendation to bring Jin in for a show-cause hearing.

Chairman Donald Wong stepped down for the hearing because his family owns Kowloon, while Selectman Stephen Castinetti sat out the discussion because Jin is one of his clients.

DiMella told the board the likelihood of officer injury when they are outnumbered by a hostile and uncooperative crowd is “very high.”

Another concern DiMella voiced was that four other communities sent officers to quell the disturbances at Orchid and as a result those cities were less protected on New Year’s Eve.

“In my years with the Saugus Police, I cannot remember a single call to Saugus for mutual aid because of an out of control nightclub . . . We owe our neighbors a debt and we owe them a promise that we will not allow this to continue,” DiMella said.

To prevent a repeat occurrence, DiMella said he would like to see Orchid hire additional security to improve crowd control.

DiMella also suggested possibly limiting the number of patrons at Orchid, noting the club couldn’t handle the more than 1,000 people who showed up on New Year’s Eve.

Orchid manager responds

Orchid General Manager Anthony Cogliano characterized the situation as four skirmishes that occurred when management tried to disperse the crowd from the building.

   With a major snowstorm forecast on New Year’s Eve, Cogliano said he expected 400 to 600 people to show up to ring in 2009. He noted that only 19 patrons stopped by Orchid on a Saturday night two weeks earlier when the region was blanketed with snow.

   But to Cogliano’s surprise 800 people celebrated New Year’s Eve at Orchid, which he acknowledged caught him a bit off guard.

   “For whatever reason everyone decided to come to Orchid that night, I didn’t anticipate such a big crowd,” Cogliano remarked.

   If he expected a near capacity turnout, Cogliano said he would have staffed Orchid with more than the 18 security personnel working when the fights broke out.

   Security is a top priority at Orchid, Cogliano emphasized. He told the Advertiser he requests Saugus Police detail officers be stationed at the club every Friday and Saturday night, but frequently the department fails to come up with bodies to fill the shifts.

   On New Year’s Eve two detail officers were assigned to Orchid and made the first call for help.

   Problems surfaced on New Year’s Eve because the considerable turnout slowed staff from getting everyone out the doors in a timely manner, Cogliano said. He clarified that no patrons had a drink in hand after 1:30 a.m. when Orchid closed for the night.

   The reality of the nightclub business is that fights can happen even at establishments that implement effective security plans, Cogliano said.

  Cogliano stressed a willingness to work with the police department and do whatever he can to prevent a repeat occurrence.

“My goal is to alleviate any concerns the chief has,” Cogliano said. “I want to run a successful operation and not cause any headaches for anyone.”