Door staff members weren’t the only ones checking ID’s in downtown Athens, Georgia tonight. Agents of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) entered bars downtown verifying if the patrons were 21 or over with identification to prove it.

Flanagan’s bar manager Andrew Davenport witnessed law enforcement personnel checking ID’s in his bar.  He says although he didn’t see anyone in hand-cuffs, he confirmed one individual received a ticket for underage drinking.

Athens-Clarke County police Sergeant Aubrey Epps said he could not grant an on camera interview but confirmed that ATF agents entered the bars and their goal was to make sure the bars were complying with the law.

Several students immediately headed home when the news spread on social media. UGA Junior Michael Ujjin was in Sandbar when the cops arrived. He says they checked his ID and said they were looking for underage drinkers. UGA senior Emily Cissil was also downtown during the incident. She says, “It’s kind of scary, but at the same time I’m glad the police are keeping people safe and cracking down on underage drinking.” Both of these student’s ID’s were cleared.

The ATF was unable to release any specifics this evening, but an agent stated that they will send a press release first thing Monday morning detailing the events of the night. Grady Newsource will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.

By: Danielle Lewan