Man Points Gun at Patron’s Genitals Over $1 Tip at Bar-Bill Tavern

     A late-night dispute over a small tip inside Bar-Bill Tavern in East Aurora almost escalated into a shootout after police say a customer left the restaurant, retrieved a firearm, and returned to threaten multiple people inside.

     According to East Aurora Police, officers were called to the restaurant around 11:15pm on April 1st after reports that a man had displayed a weapon during an altercation. By the time authorities arrived, the suspect had already left the scene.

     This was not an April fools joke.

     Witnesses told investigators the situation began when the man became upset over a $1 tip left by another customer. Police say the individual, later identified as 40-year-old Scott Rutkowski of West Seneca, exited the building, went to his vehicle, and came back inside armed.

     According to the police report, multiple witnesses described a tense and dangerous encounter in which Rutkowski allegedly threatened patrons. Witnesses told police he “brandish a firearm, including pointing the firearm at [the] victim's genitals, and making threats to use the firearm to shoot customers.”

     Authorities later confirmed that the individuals who had left the tip were no longer inside the restaurant at the time of the confrontation.

     Law enforcement began searching for Rutkowski shortly after the incident. Erie County Sheriff’s deputies located him in Springville in the early morning hours of April 2nd, at approximately 1:40am and took him into custody without incident.

     Lt. Dustin Waldron of the East Aurora Police Department described the sequence of events following the initial call, saying, "We responded to the area, spoke with the parties involved, and eventually, hours later, the Erie County Sheriff's Office was able to locate that individual. It's to my understanding that the individuals who he was upset with leaving a small tip weren't even on scene anymore."

     Rutkowski now faces multiple charges including Menacing in the 2nd Degree, Prohibited Use of a Weapon, Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the 2nd Degree, Criminal Possession of a Firearm in a Sensitive Location, and Reckless Endangerment in the 2nd Degree.

Man Points Gun at Patron’s Genitals Over $1 Tip at Bar-Bill Tavern