Lawsuits Allege Harrah's Security Guards Roughed Up Visitors
By Steve Tawa
EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP, N.J. (CBS) --- Lawyers representing guests who visited Harrah's Resort in Atlantic City say security guards there are roughing up visitors in unprovoked attacks.
Lawyers and plaintiffs are making the details public today at a briefing in Egg Harbor Township...
Two Philadelphia men are among the first bringing their lawsuits to federal court in Camden.
Their attorneys say video surveillance footage shows that the guards' use of excessive force was unnecessary, and came without any obvious physical provocation.
Attorney Paul D'Amato of Egg Harbor Township and his co-counsel now count 11-plaintiffs bringing claims against Harrah's.
Among them, junior accountant Rob Coney of Philadelphia, a one-time St Joe's Prep basketball star, who got into a verbal disagreement with security. D'Amato alleges a moonlighting Atlantic City police officer, working part-time as a security guard, clubbed him to the floor with a baton.
"You can see in the surveillance video, that while Rob is on the ground, the officer continues to hit him with a steel baton on his head," D'Amato said.
Another client, Sean Oaks, a University of Pennsylvania student, claims security guards pummeled him after he complained one of them was bending his driver's license.
Also filing claims are Frank Farrell of Brigantine, a Golden Nugget dealer, and Gene Eugene, a taxi driver from Pleasantville.
Harrah's says its "security personnel are trained to use the least amount of force required to manage any particular incident."
