Man records melee on pedestrian bridge in latest case of Strip violence
A Las Vegas man said he videotaped a large melee on a Las Vegas Strip pedestrian bridge Saturday night in yet another episode of violence on the famed tourist thoroughfare.
Dustin Nelson, 36, said he was walking on the Strip at 8:37 p.m. Saturday when he approached the pedestrian bridge stretching across Las Vegas Boulevard South, near an entry into Planet Hollywood. At the top of the escalator a bunch of young men started throwing punches and kicking one another. Some women were in the middle of the skirmish as well.
“A cat fight royale free-for all,” Nelson said.
The video Nelson shot shows a young man falling to the ground, then shows another man repeatedly attempting to kick the individual on the ground. Video of the fight goes on for more than 40 seconds.
Nelson said he did observe one security guard in the area, but he did not see any police officers present. He did not witness anyone being arrested or taken into custody.
Las Vegas police said they had no record of the fight being reported.
Nelson said he’s regularly visited the Strip over the years to show family and friends around, but he said the Strip now feels different. He said he suspects low hotel rates are “tending to attract anybody.”
“It is not the same city as it was before the pandemic,” Nelson said, adding he’s sharing the video because “it’s my city, so I care.”
Saturday night’s ruckus is another act of violence on the Strip since this summer. It is the third to unfold near Planet Hollywood, 3667 Las Vegas Blvd. South, in a little more than a week. On Oct. 11 a man was shot near the Miracle Mile Shops in what police suspect was a narcotics transaction. On Monday morning, police said a shot was fired at the top of an escalator at the northeast corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Harmon Avenue. No one was injured in the 12:54 a.m. shooting. Police said one person was arrested in Monday’s shooting, but they’ve released no further details.
Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo said police have increased patrols in response to the violence.
Contact Glenn Puit by email at gpuit@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter.
