Shaky and Blurry Videos Emerged on YouTube and Instagram of the Resorts World Brawl
A huge brawl took place Friday night in the Resorts World Casino in Queens, New York. Videos of the brawl were filmed and posted on the Internet, showing dozens of people landing punches, throwing chairs, and even throwing each other during the melee.
According to the New York Post, the brawl began during the grand opening of Fat Tuesdays, a daiquiri bar inside the Queens, New York racino. In one video, signs of conflict could be seen for over a minute before the violence broke out. One onlooker began filming in time to see one man take a running potshot at another man. After this happened, chaos ensued for the next three minutes.
Dozens Involved in Fighting
The confrontation began at 10:40 p.m. Before it was complete, a full brawl had erupted, including at least 2 dozen combatants. People could be seen throwing punches and chairs at one another. One police officer (hand) and four security guards (scratches) were injured in the fighting.
One casino employee claimed to have seen the tension which sparked the bloodbath. The worker said, “Two girls started this whole ting. They came in with their groups. Before you know it, they started looking at each other, they started bumping into each other, and then ‘all Hell’ let loose.”
Long Line for Mixed Drinks
A spokesman for law enforcement said the fight ensued due to the long wait for daiquiris. Customers were steamed with having to wait in a long line. Proximity and lack of patience combined to foster the casino equivalent of road rage. Given that a significant number of patrons already had been drinking at that point, it proved to be a toxic mix.
By the time it was complete, three men were arrested. Jovan Bovell, a 23 year old, was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Andrew Rivers, a 23-year old man from Brooklyn, was charged with disorderly conduct. Marcus Stewart, a 30-year old, received two charges for disorderly conduct and was released.
Brawl Spilled in the Parking Lot
Before it was over, Fat Tuesdays was not the only setting for the brawl. Fighting spilled into the casino’s food court, while some fighting took place in the parking lot. The violence caused thousands of dollars in damage, according to the New York Post.
Once in the parking lot, one “hooligan” fired off two rounds. No one was struck by the bullets and the suspected shotoer is still at large. That shooter has been identified as Jaquan Roberts, a 22-year old man.
Casino Visitors Not Happy
Gamblers not involved in the fight were appalled by the incident. One anonymous woman said, “I don’t like to come at nights because too many roughnecks come here.”
Comments on Twitter
Fat Tuesdays, which was having a grand opening, closed down only 5 hours into business. Damage to the casino bar was significant. The destruction caused a number of party-goers and residents of Queens to comment on Twitter.
One person who was on the scene tweeted, “They done tore up the #FatTuesdaysNYC on the first night! [Queens] Can’t have nothing.”
Another casino patron seconded that thought by tweeting, “People always ask why we never get anything. Next time ask yourselves, ‘Why every time we get something, we destroy it.’”
A third gave suggested a particular type of patron was involved, “Once y’all saw that dude in the 8 Ball jacket y’all should have known things about to go up.”
Resorts World Press Release
A Resorts World spokesman said that security has been increased in the wake of the incident. The casino also is talking to the New York Police Department about increasing its patrols. At present, NYPD does not patrol inside the casino.
The Resorts World spokesman, who works for the Genting Group of out Malaysia, said, “Entertainment venues across the city and country have faced issues like this in the past, but an incident like this is isolated at Resorts World.”
About Resorts World New York City
Resorts World New York City is located at Ozone Park in Queens, New York. The casino is part of Aqueduct Racetrack complex. The racino was proposed in the early 2000s and opened in 2011. It is considered one of the nicest casino gaming floors within range of New York City, though the racino mainly has slot machines (video lottery terminals). Only a handful of table games are on the gaming floor.
The table games are automated and include roulette, craps, and baccarat. The baccarat uses real cards, but is dealt using a machine. The automated nature of the casino was controversial at the time of opening, because such devices eliminated potential jobs, which is often one of the reasons given for the placement of a casino near a major city.
