CINCINNATI — A Cincinnati nightclub operator denied that some patrons were allowed to bypass security checks that included metal-detection wands before a gun battle erupted, killing one man and injuring 16 other people.

Julian ‘‘Jay’’ Rodgers rejected claims that people could pay to avoid the long line to get into the club without being checked. Police estimate 200 people were inside early Sunday when a dispute escalated into a gunfight in which more than 20 shots were fired by an unknown number of shooters in the popular club.

Rodgers said two of four privately paid uniformed Cincinnati police officers there had a clear view of security procedures and helped ‘‘with the flow of the lines.’’

Police Chief Eliot Isaac has emphasized that the officers working off-duty security details remained outside before the shooting and that the club was responsible for its inside security. Isaac said he was aware of reports of a security bypass line, but police hadn’t confirmed that.

No club security footage of the shooting has emerged.

Associated Press