Assaulted and Drugged by Casino Security

[popeye33]

My question involves civil rights in the State of: pa

Approximately 6:30 p.m. on May 6th, 2011 I arrived at the River's casino in Pittsburgh, PA . I entered the main entrance of the casino and was approached by a suited security guard with a bad attitude whom requested my ID. Like most people I am right handed and at the time had a half cast on for a broken metacarpal. The cast made it difficult for me to retrieve my ID out of my wallet, I wasn't willing to do so. Being 34 and having played dozens of times before at the Rivers without being carded, I felt it was absurd to do so. I could of had a bit of an attitude because I had just recently found out that chemotherapy, a bone marrow transplant, and immunotherapy wasn't helping the cancer condition I've been battling for nearly 5 years. That being said, I was interrogated about the contents of my sling pack backpack etc.. I refused to comply and turned around and left, I was hungry and needed some fresh air to vent some steam. The security guard yells at me in front of everyone. "DON'T COME BACK'! I got a cab and some food, while talking on my phone to Sam (a nice poker floor staff member) to see if I could get permitted back into the casino to play some poker.

Sam, knowing I have a history of being a "class act" type of player, assured me it was fine to play if i was willing to show my ID if asked. I was willing to upon reentry. Sam said he would clear it up with security and get clearance for me to play. After contacting the head of security, Sam assured me that I was welcome in any entrance. I showed up at the main entrance about 7:15 and made my way to the poker room without a problem. The poker room was slammed with wait lists on all games. I signed up for 2-5 nlh with "ZEE" at the front desk. I decided to make some reservations at the steakhouse and make a phone call on the second floor near the buffet where it's quieter than the main floor and has cell reception as well. I sat down on a bench on the second floor and wrote a text on my phone. I hear a menacing and threatening voice from behind, "I thought I told you to not come back". It was the security guard that initially carded me. I made the decision to flee for the exit or at least go to where i had witnesses and felt more comfortable being confronted by security. I hurriedly made my way down the escalator and was swarmed on by half a dozen security guards and brought to the casino floor. I was cuffed hands behind my back and ankles shackled. Meanwhile, I yelled as loud as I could "I'm innocent" and "let me go". I was completely sober and was not doing anything illegal. At least 100-200 people saw this because it was 7:30ish on a Friday and the place was packed.

I was picked up and taken out of a door adjacent to the escalators. That night it was raining and I was thrown down on the wet asphalt while shackled, I literally bounced and skidded across the ground while being shackled. I was then continually verbally threatened for my life, I was tazed extensively, I kept proclaiming my innocence. After I got tazed they piled on top of my back and put all their pressure into various pressure point positions, behind the ears was the most memorable. They literally nearly suffocated me by piling on top of me. All my clothes and backpack were cut off of me. Then, things got quiet and thats when the state police showed up. I was finally able to breathe and I remember security guards shouting "blue 302" . Some sort of gel capsule was shoved up my right nostril and then they gave me a shot on the inside of my right bicep and it was lights out for me.
I woke up in a hospital gown and was told that they were performing a ct scan to see if my skull was fractured. I was refused access to my phone and the request of taking pictures of my injured face. I was placed in some sort of holding cell for 27 hrs. and then transported to a psych ward for three and a half weeks. It took two weeks before my lawyer was permitted to talk to me. One good thing I can say good about the security is that they didn't take any of my money I had on me.

I had no history of being involuntarily committed until that happened. Also, I don't have a criminal record. The reason I am posting is because I need to find a good lawyer and/or legal advice on how to proceed with a lawsuit.

[flyingron]

We don't provide lawyer recommendations, there are links elsewhere on the site for such database.

You have little cause for action. You are legally obliged to provide ID in casinos at any time requested. It matters not how old you actually are, how many times you've been there before, etc...
You fled the security when asked. You subsequently TRESPASSED on the property. You don't have much of a claim on anything.

[Mr. Knowitall]

As you have a lawyer, surely your lawyer has obtained video surveillance of the incident, front to back, from the casino security cameras. Everything in a casino is recorded.

flyingron is incorrect, assuming you can prove your allegations - which will be easy with the video surveillance - as the force you describe would have been excessive. If you cannot get the video, the odds are considerable that your account of events will be regarded as more consistent with a mental breakdown that landed you in psychiatric care. The bit about "blue 302 / gel capsule" and "a shot on the inside of my right bicep" in front of the state police isn't particularly believable, with or without the police being present.

[PTPD22]

The bit about "blue 302 / gel capsule" and "a shot on the inside of my right bicep" in front of the state police isn't particularly believable, with or without the police being present.

There is quite a bit more that I'm having a hard time believing.

Like most people I am right handed and at the time had a half cast on for a broken metacarpal. The cast made it difficult for me to retrieve my ID out of my wallet

Ok, I buy that you were in a cast and that would affect manual dexterity. However, since you were going to a casino - where it would be very likely to be asked to show ID - I would think that maybe you might have thought about carrying your ID somewhere accessible???

I made the decision to flee for the exit or at least go to where i had witnesses and felt more comfortable being confronted by security. I hurriedly made my way down the escalator and was swarmed on by half a dozen security guards and brought to the casino floor.

Remember the part about you were in a CASINO? Unless you were confronted in a bathroom stall, you can rest assured that not only did you have witnesses to the incident, it was RECORDED on surveillance cameras! There was no need to "flee" to someplace with witnesses.

I was cuffed hands behind my back and ankles shackled.

Ok, here is where it really goes off the deep end. Remember the part about you were wearing a cast on your arm? I can state unequivocally that handcuffs will not fit over a cast. The only way to "cuff" a person wearing an arm cast is with the big plastic zip-tie type restraints...and I've never seen private security guards carry those. They are one use only and kinda expensive. Even cops don't carry them around with them unless they are going on a raid or responding to a riot or such. Likewise, I've never known private security guards to carry leg shackles. Handcuffs generally won't work on ankles. Again, most cops don't even carry them...and, if they do, they have them in the trunk, not on their person for unexpected use.

I was completely sober and was not doing anything illegal.

yeah....except for the whole trespassing and disorderly conduct part.

I was then continually verbally threatened for my life,

Really? They have you restrained and outside the casino...and they stand around and tell you that they are going to kill you??? What? One guy says, "I think I'll cut his throat!" But, another guy says, "Nah, don't get your knife dirty. Let's just hit him in the head with a brick!"

I was tazed extensively, I kept proclaiming my innocence. After I got tazed they piled on top of my back and put all their pressure into various pressure point positions, behind the ears was the most memorable. They literally nearly suffocated me by piling on top of me.

Again, according to your story, you were already fully restrained and had been removed to outside the casino. Why, at that point, would the security guards decide it was a good training opportunity to practice Taser and pressure point techniques? I buy that they might have been holding you down if you were still thrashing around...to keep you from hurting yourself. But the rest absolutely begs the question, Why would they do that??? They would have no reason to!

All my clothes and backpack were cut off of me.

Again...REALLY??? The backpack, maybe. But, why in the world would they cut your clothes off??? What POSSIBLE motivation would they have??? Were they all voyeurs and though this would be a great opportunity to indulge their fetish? You were just too attractive to pass up?

Some sort of gel capsule was shoved up my right nostril and then they gave me a shot on the inside of my right bicep and it was lights out for me.

This part I actually find at least partly believable. It sound apparent that you were acting out in a violent psychotic episode and, therefore, in danger of suffering an excited delirium medical emergency. An episode of excited delirium can (and frequently does) result in death. It is the most common actual cause for all the hyper-sensationalized "the police killed him with the Taser" stories you read about. The recommended protocol for treating excited delirium in the field is a fast acting sedative. That would be administered by paramedics as that is something else that neither cops nor security guards carry around in their shirt pocket. What the "gel capsule" was, I have no clue.

I was placed in some sort of holding cell for 27 hrs. and then transported to a psych ward for three and a half weeks. It took two weeks before my lawyer was permitted to talk to me.

Since most psych holds are for 72 hours, that's quite a statement about your mental condition. Usually within 72 hours a person can be examined by a qualified doctor, administered proper medication, and have their condition under control enough that they can be released to some supervised environment. Since I really can't buy that the casino security guys, the state cops, the paramedics, and the psych ward docs were ALL in on some personal vendetta against you, I'm thinking you had some pretty serious mental issues to deal with.

The reason I am posting is because I need to find a good lawyer and/or legal advice on how to proceed with a lawsuit.

Did you forget that you just stated that you already had a lawyer in the previous quote? I have to assume that, because that lawyer told you that you have absolutely no case for suit against anyone, you no longer consider him/her a "good" lawyer?

[Mr. Knowitall]

There is quite a bit more that I'm having a hard time believing.

Understandable. One way or another, though, it's going to be on video.

[popeye33]

"Really? They have you restrained and outside the casino...and they stand around and tell you that they are going to kill you??? What? One guy says, "I think I'll cut his throat!" But, another guy says, "Nah, don't get your knife dirty. Let's just hit him in the head with a brick!"

Actually they said they would take me down a dirt road in a van and blow my head off... I told them they better kill me... Not once did I give them the satisfaction of me saying "oh please stop"...

"Did you forget that you just stated that you already had a lawyer in the previous quote? I have to assume that, because that lawyer told you that you have absolutely no case for suit against anyone, you no longer consider him/her a "good" lawyer?"

I should reiterate that I don't have a lawyer, poor choice of words.. I should have said "a lawyer" could not contact me for 2 weeks. My accountant heard of my situation and contacted a lawyer (friend) to get a hold of me and it took her 2 weeks to get through to me. I have not discussed this experience with a lawyer yet... That is the whole reason I am here. I have been traumatized by the whole experience and am just now pursuing advice for a lawsuit after being encouraged by my peers.

"Again, according to your story, you were already fully restrained and had been removed to outside the casino. Why, at that point, would the security guards decide it was a good training opportunity to practice Taser and pressure point techniques? I buy that they might have been holding you down if you were still thrashing around...to keep you from hurting yourself. But the rest absolutely begs the question, Why would they do that??? They would have no reason to!"

Not sure why they did this but they did, it's in the police report that I was tazed after being restrained...

"Again...REALLY??? The backpack, maybe. But, why in the world would they cut your clothes off??? What POSSIBLE motivation would they have??? Were they all voyeurs and though this would be a great opportunity to indulge their fetish? You were just too attractive to pass up?"

Again, I'm not making this story up !!! Don't have the answers to why they did that. I was taunted and asked if I wanted my clothes back as well...

"Remember the part about you were in a CASINO? Unless you were confronted in a bathroom stall, you can rest assured that not only did you have witnesses to the incident, it was RECORDED on surveillance cameras! There was no need to "flee" to someplace with witnesses."

Looking back this is the only bad decision I feel I made during the ordeal... Being in a quiet part of the casino on the second floor with no slots etc. I made the bad decision to go to a more populated area before being confronted by the aggressive and threatening security guard... Still does running through a casino warrant what happened to me?

I have no reason to fabricate any of my story... I'm just looking for some guidance and input on how to pursue a lawsuit, if in fact I can.

Thanks

[LawResearcherMissy]

I'm just looking for some guidance and input on how to pursue a lawsuit, if in fact I can.

That's why you need an attorney to get hold of the security footage.

[popeye33]

I've tried contacting many lawyers in pittsburgh and they all represent the casino... Am i limited to just getting a pa lawyer? I'm an Ohio resident and need some advice on how to get a good lawyer. What type of lawyer do I need etc..

Thanks so much!

[LawResearcherMissy]

You can get an Ohio attorney if s/he's licensed to practice in Pennsylvania. I know that some close to the border (Cleveland area-ish) practice in both states, much like many in my neck of the woods (Toledo) practice in OH and MI.

IF you have grounds for suit - and no one here can say if you do, you really need an attorney to review the footage - you'd need to sue in PA, hence the need for an attorney who is licensed there.

[Mr. Knowitall]

I've tried contacting many lawyers in pittsburgh and they all represent the casino...

That's absurd.