DETROIT – A brawl captured on camera inside Greektown Casino is raising questions about the response from police. Why did troopers hang back instead of trying to break up the fight?
Even some bystanders were shocked to see the hands-off approach as the fighting grew more violent. Michigan State Police said there were good reasons for those troopers not to intervene.
Video shows the fight inside the food court area inside the Greektown Casino as a woman was thrown to the floor and a chair was thrown. Two Michigan State Police troopers were at the scene, but held back.
When the brawl seems to be settling down a man comes into the video and takes his shirt off. A trooper has his Taser out and people brush right by him. Many people want to know why didn’t the troopers step in to stop the fight?
The troopers were called to the scene on reports of 30 people fighting. Police said the troopers were outnumbered and made the call not to intervene and escalate an already violent situation.
Police did escort 15 people who were fighting away from the casino. Once the people were out of the casino, that’s where MSP jurisdiction ends.
No arrests were made.
Owner of The Old Shillelagh speaks out
The owner of The Old Shillelagh bar in Greektown spoke with Local 4.
“I don’t think there’s any prosecution when people are getting in trouble, so there’s no consequence for the actions,” owner Shellie Lewis said.
Lewis said she is seeing police are outnumbered by massive crowds drinking in the streets and in parking lots. She said she is seeing no accountability for when laws are broken and when safety is shattered.
“Chairs were thrown, there were normal people just sitting around where they could have been injured,” Lewis said.
Lewis and others said they want to see accountability when laws are broken.
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