A family that was barred from an Atlantic City resort and subsequently taken down and cuffed by security back in 2012 are now suing the property’s ownership. Michael Maggiano, Esq. filed a lawsuit against Caesars Entertainment Corporation in Lee County (FL) court on February 10, 2014 on behalf of Florida resident Renee Binns alleging security guards at Harrah’s Atlantic City Resort and Casino assaulted Ms. Binns and her family during a stay in August 2012.
According to a press release by Mr. Maggiano’s firm Maggiano, DiGirolamo & Lizzi, P.C., the complaint alleges “a pattern of rampant misconduct by members of the private security force” employed by Harrah’s.
Security footage of the incident, made public by the law firm and posted online by the Press of Atlantic City as well as other media outlets, shows what happened, though without audio. At the outset, John Binns can be seen having a discussion with a member of the front desk staff, a discussion with appears to get a bit heated. Soon after, the video shows him talking as well as possibly arguing with three security guards. Suddenly, without anything that looks like physical provocation (again, we can’t hear what was said), the three guards taken Mr. Binns down to the floor, wrestling with him for a while before cuffing his hands behind his back.
During this altercation, Ms. Binns and the couple’s 17-year old daughter, Andrea, are present. After Mr. Binns is led away, Ms. Binns and her daughter leave the scene. The footage then cuts to a view of a the two walking down a hallway, where they are soon approached by more members of the security team. The security guards forcibly separate the two women and take both down. Ms. Binns is dragged around the corner as she resists before finally giving in. Andrea puts up more of fight, initially taking some half-swings at the guards when they make their first move. She was taken to the floor very hard, so hard that she broke her nose. The lawsuit states that Ms. Binns “watched unbridled violence in complete horror as she was dragged away from her daughter.”
The Press of Atlantic City article states the initial disagreement with hotel staff began when the family was having trouble using the key cards to access their hotel room. Mr. Binns was allegedly told by a staff member that he could not be issued a new card because he was not in the system as a registered guest. At that point, it seems, things got testy and the altercations began.
In July 2013, Mr. Binns told WINK News of Fort Myers, Florida that they had trouble with their card multiple times and he went to speak to a manager and get a new key. “I explained to him how many times this has happened,” Binns told WINK. “He mentioned that he spoke to my wife and tried to correct the problem. I told him it was a reoccurring problem and it hasn’t corrected it’s self yet. He was getting agitated with me, I was getting agitated with him. He just came to the point and said, I’ve had enough of you guys, you’re outta here.”
After that, he told the news station, he agreed to leave the property, but wanted Atlantic City police officers to escort he and his family back to their room to retrieve their belongings, rather than hotel security. It was while they were waiting for the police to arrive that Mr. Binns got into the argument with the security guards. “They kept closing, and I felt threatened. It was a no-win situation, I was hoping for the best and hoping the police would show up before anything would happen,” John told WINK. “I said, look I’m done talking let’s just wait for the Atlantic City Police, and that’s when I was attacked.”
In the WINK piece, Keith Hanson, the owner of the On-Sight Tactical Training Institute, said that the security guards handled the situation poorly. “It’s clear that they were setting him from the takedown. They had somebody in the front, they had him flanked on both sides. So it’s a classic setup for a takedown.”
Caesars does not comment on pending litigation.