FALL RIVER — Hiding empty bullet casings and misleading the police about a shooting is unacceptable behavior for people running a bar in the city, members of the Licensing Board said.

With that, the board closed the Davol Street Station, 697 Davol St., until Dec. 31 because the bartender and the staff tried to hide a shooting that took place there on April 29.

Board members did agree to review the suspension at its Oct. 19 meeting after hearing that the bar owner, Robin Wycislak, was trying to sell the business.

Police were called to the bar after midnight on April 29 by neighborhood residents who reported hearing gunfire. Detective Jeffrey Autote offered his report, which was accepted into the record, showing that bar staff originally denied there had been a shooting. They had, in fact, cleaned up after the shooting and hid shell casings found inside the bar, Autote reported.

Greg Brilhante, the lawyer for Wycislak, told the board that Wycislak did not dispute the facts in the police report.

The bar has been a problem for the police for years, Autote said.

“This was the second shooting there,” he said. “There have been stabbings and weekend brawls.

“There was more of what we experienced on April 29.”

Board Member Eric Santos read from a report, citing 24 calls to the police from the bar in 2016, 27 in 2015 and 41 in 2014.

The bar has had two warnings that it was facing disciplinary action and was handed one 3-day suspension, he said.

Brilhante presented the board with a proposal from Wycislak, promising to change the operation of the bar and to place the business on the market. Brilhante asked the board to consider a 45-day suspension, effective immediately. That would give Wycislak time needed to make changes in the operation of the business, he said.

“It means Ms. Wycislak proposes to go back to more of a restaurant,” Brilhante said. “To be a bar, with music, is just not working.”

But that suspension was not enough, Santos said.

“Forty-five days is not much,” he said. “We’ve had 90 days since the last shooting, and nothing has changed. What can be changed in 45 days?

“My motion would be to suspend the license to Dec. 31. That would give you the chance to revamp your business or sell it.”

Board Chairman John Saulino suggested the bar owner return to the Licensing Board at its Oct. 19 meeting for a status hearing. At that point, he said, she could try to convince board members that changes have been made and ask that the license be reinstated.

“We don’t want to put anyone out of business,” Saulino said. “Since I’ve been on the board, we’ve revoked only six licenses.

“If you can sell the business and make a profit at it, we want to let that happen.”

Santos, Saulino and board member Theresa Esposito all voted in favor of the license suspension. Brilhante turned in the bar license at the end of the hearing.

Wycislak deferred questions to Brilhante.

“My client respects the decision of the Licensing Board,” he said. “She will begin the process of assessing the changes that need to be made in order to make the establishment safer for patrons, the citizens of the city and the police."