NY State Senator Hurt in Casino Fight, Video Evidence Disputes Testimony
A new video has surfaced that captured a New York state senator during an altercation while at a fundraiser at a casino in western New York.
Mark Grisanti told reporters that he came upon two men who he thought were about to engage in a physical altercation.
The two men, thought to be Seneca Nation businessmen, then turned their attention to the person trying to intervene.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Grisanti told the pair: "Hey guys, calm down. This is a nice event. Relax, cool down," according to The New York Post.
One of the men asked to know his name. When he told the pair who he was, one of the individuals allegedly said, "you hate the Indians," and then punched him in the stomach.
Grisanti suffered bruised ribs as a result of the altercation. His wife was also involved in the incident and suffered a concussion.
But new video that has emerged shows a slightly different story. In the video, the senator can be seen being restrained by security while wildly thrashing his arms in the air. Soon after the incident he is escorted out of the casino by security.
A witness told Buffalo News that he heard the Senator make a racist remark at a black security guard while he was being restrained.
There was also another person who recalled hearing the racial epithet. Ross L. John Sr., a former member of the Seneca Tribal Council, stated that heard Grisanti yelling a racial slur "at least twice" at a black security officer.
But Grisanti maintains that he only was concerned with getting to his wife who was on the floor being kicked and punched.
"If somebody got hit in any circumstance, whatsoever, it's too bad because my wife was on the bottom in that pile and I would do it again in a heartbeat."
He continue to describe the scene as "one woman right on top of her, grabbing her with handfuls of hair in both hands … punching her in the face and in the side of the head."
Niagara Falls Police have now requested a copy of the surveillance tape to aid in their ongoing investigation.
To see video of the event in question, click here.
