Wynn Las Vegas files suit over Labor Day weekend fight at Encore

Lawyers for a Las Vegas Strip property took an unusual step Friday of lodging a trespassing lawsuit against 20 unknown people in the wake of a Labor Day weekend fight that broke out at Encore.

The lawsuit was filed by Wynn Las Vegas, which operates Encore.

“Be assured, Wynn will not sit idly by when anyone engages in mayhem or flouts government-imposed safety measures in violation of Nevada law,” the civil complaint read. “Wynn will aggressively pursue all options to hold these individuals accountable even after they flee from Wynn’s buildings and away from Nevada’s borders.”

Earlier this week, the Metropolitan Police Department said violent visitors “will not be tolerated” after its downtown area command arrested 28 people and issued 27 citations on the Friday of Labor Day weekend.

It’s unclear if any of those people would be named in the lawsuit, which identified all 20 defendants only as “DOE Individuals.”

Videos of a fight that broke out inside Encore circulated on social media over the weekend.

The videos showed people within a hallway swinging at other guests and casino security as a crowd watches. The visitors eventually dispersed, leaving behind a velvet rope toppled to the ground.

“While their actions may have been isolated and lasted only moments, the damage they caused to Wynn and to the gaming industry still reeling from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic is incalculable,” the attorneys wrote. “Wynn is prepared to do whatever is necessary to pursue and press all possible charges against these individuals to the full extent of equitable and legal remedies available.”

Wynn Resorts Ltd. spokesman Michael Weaver also said the company would raise its room rates and investment in its security workforce and procedures after the fight. The company had no record of injuries from the incident.

“It is our intention to aggressively take this type of action against anyone who engages in similar behavior at Wynn or Encore in the future,” Weaver wrote in a Friday email. “We have zero tolerance for disruptive or violent behavior.”

Along with trespassing, the lawsuit filed in Clark County District Court claimed that those involved in the skirmish early Sunday caused a nuisance and “placed Wynn before the public in a false light.”

“Wynn seeks to quash any mistaken belief that Wynn would ever tolerate any intrusion upon the safety and well-being of its guests and employees,” the complaint stated. “Wynn will not.”

Contact David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Follow @randompoker on Twitter.