Metro says it’ll man Frontier site for now

Steve Sebelius and Lynn WaddeII

Thursday, Jan. 29, 1998 | 10:46 a.m.

Sheriff John Moran decided today that Metro Police will post uniformed officers outside the Frontier Hotel after striking union members beat two tourists Sunday night.

Meanwhile, one victim denied that she uttered a racial slur at pickets before the assault, and police said they were inching closer to obtaining arrest -warrants for the alleged offenders.

Hotel surveillance cameras captured the Sunday night attack on a Moorpark, Calif., and his wife, Gail, 28, outside the Frontier. The videotape was broadcast nationwide Tuesday.

The video shows Gail White exchanging words with picketers, then someone shouting something at her. She then is struck in the face by a woman on the picket line.

Her husband runs across the street to protect her, and he is hit in the side of the head by a heavyset man wielding a beer mug. Several pickets then pile on escaped by crossing the street returns but alma and falls. She arose just in time to stop a picketer from striking her fallen husband with a large stick.

The melee finally ends when 8 large man - apparently the one who first struck Sean White - breaks it up and the Whites flee.

Tom Pitaro, attorney for Culinary Union Local 226, suggested that the couple, who are white, directed "some racial slurs against some pickets who were Afro-Americans."

But Gail White said that wasn't the case.

"It's totally obvious from watching the tape what happened," she said in a telephone interview from her California home. "(My husband) was attacked."

White refused to say more until she talks to her attorney.

Police agreed that race was not the factor that started the attack.

"We don't believe from what we've seen that there's anything racial involved," said Lt. Joe Greenwood, who is heading the investigation of the incident. I believe that (charge) is an attempt to muddy the issue."

Greenwood said investigators have obtained names of the people pictured on the videotape beating the Whites, and are now trying to verify if those people are the suspects in the case.

"We have some names. We're trying to confirm now whether the names are accurate, Greenwood said.

The Culinary Union, which has paid members to picket in front of the Frontier since the strike began Sept. 21, 1991, has not helped in the investigation, Greenwood said.

"So far, the Culinary has not provided me with anything," Greenwood said. "It appears at this point that the Culinary is somewhat reluctant to cooperate."

Culinary Union Local 226 Secretary-treasurer Jim Arnold was in Carson City and could not be reached for comment.

Greenwood said in the wake of the incident, his unit has received about 20 calls from people who said they had been similarly harassed by strikers.

"We have many complaints," he said. "Apparently they feel they can intimidate people," he said.