Police Give Up Roadblocks In Super Bowl Party Controversy

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. -- Police threatened to shut down a family's Super Bowl party at their DeKalb County home.

Dekalb police officers said they will be monitoring the situation. They had threatened to arrest the couple if any friends or family come over to watch the game, claiming they didn't have the proper permits. The homeowners insist the party will go on.

”We’re having a party, my constitutional right, homeowner Douglas Liggion told Channel 2’s Eric Philips.

Liggion and his wife, Tonya, originally advertised a paid event at their home for Super Bowl Sunday. They said men could pay $20 for admission and women could bring canned goods. They planned on donating the proceeds to a charity for the homeless.

They had a similar party before Thanksgiving.

”We were pretty excited because we collected a lot of food, probably enough to fill up most of this room, and we were hoping with this Superbowl party we could collect three times as much, Tonya Liggion said.

But on Wednesday, code enforcement officials and DeKalb County police told the Liggions they could not host the party because it violated county ordinances against running a business in a residential area.

So, the couple canceled the event and opted to have a smaller private gathering of friends and family that would be free. But police said no to that, too. They even waed the family’s attoey.

”If they have anyone come to their home, they’re going to need you, counselor, their attoey, Muwali Mel Davis, said police told him.

Police told Philips that even though the initial, paid event was canceled, the word may not have gotten out, which is why they advise against any function.

The Liggions said they are no longer breaking the law. They plan to have about 100 friends and family members over to the house to watch the Super Bowl.

On Saturday, several DeKalb commissioners held a public forum to discuss a proposed tax increase, but Davis used the opportunity to put pressure on county leaders to allow the party to go on as planned. He said it would be unreasonable for police to go forward with plans to ask vehicles entering the neighborhood to say which house they were headed to. Some commissioners agreed.

”We need all officers on the street dealing with problems as they happen," DeKalb County commissioner Lee May told Channel 2's Mike Petchenik.

Shortly after, a DeKalb police representative told Petchenik police no longer plan to have a roadblock, but they continue to monitor the situation.