7 indicted in Frontier fight

Friday, Jan. 30, 1998 | 10:35 a.m.

First published on May 21, 1993

Bill Gang

LAS VEGAS SUN

The Clark County grand jury today handed down a fistful of felony and misdemeanor indictments against seven Frontier Hotel strikers shown on videotape beating two California tourists

The grand jury deliberated into the evening hours Thursday before handing own 23 indictments against the Culinary Union pickets.

There were no conspiracy indictments, which prosecutors originally indicated they would pursue.

Deputy District Attorney Ulrich Smith called about 30 witnesses to testify before the 17-member grand jury, including strikers who were not involved in the melee but were shown on the video watching as the incident spilled onto the Strip.

None of the seven grand jury targets testified, said attorney Tom Pitaro, who is set to represent the indicted pickets. The seven are line captain Lonnie Wilkes, Gregory Jones, Dennis James, Sanford Davis, Johnny Perry, Deborah Pollard and Alfie Murray.

Two pickets could face more than 10 years in prison if convicted on all charges in the April 25 melee.

The videotape shot by Frontier security cameras shows Gail White, 28, of Moorpark, being attacked and beaten after she exchanges words with strikers on the picket line.

She finally escapes across the Strip but her husband, 24-year-old Sean White races across the busy road to confront pickets. As he argues with one union member, he is punched from the blind side by another.

As pickets swarm over Sean White his wife rushes to his aid and is shown grabbing a pole wielded bye female striker Gail White then becomes a target of the beating frenzy The incident lasted just a few seconds before the couple escaped across the Strip.

Wilkes is charged with a felony count of coercion and a misdemeanor charge of provoking the commission of a breach of the peace.

Jones, alleged to be the one who blindsided Sean White, faces a misdemeanor battery charge.

James is charged with three misdemeanor batteries and two felony counts of coercion and Perry faces a felony battery count.

Pollard is charged with three misdemeanor batteries and felony coercion.

Murray, shown on the video wielding a pole, is charged with two felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon, one of felony coercion and two misdemeanor battery charges.

In addition, all defendants are charged with single counts of disturbing the peace.

The coercion charge apparently relates to allegations that Gail White was not allowed to escape the initial confrontation. The assault with a deadly weapon charge involves the pole wielded

Original allegations that Sean White was hit 0th a beer mug held by the picketer have proved to be unfounded. The striker, an examination of the video shows, dropped the mug before the punch was thrown.

The seven were set to surrender within hours of the indictments being presented to Chief District Judge Nancy Becker. The case has been assigned to District Judge Steven Huffaker.

After the video became public, the Culinary Union took a conciliatory approach to the incident and the potential charges. But officials also raised

"The union has said it is sorry but we hope the grand jury will take into consideration the words exchanged between the couple and the black picketers," said Culinary Union spokesman Sam

"There is no justification for violence but there also is no justification for using racial slurs, Singer said, admitting that "this is one incident when the picketers should have turned the other cheek but didn't."

Smith said before the proceedings that he chose to take the case to the grand jury rather than through a Justice Court preliminary hearing because of the large number of witnesses involved, the complexity of the case, and the videotape, which he said would have to be slowed down and shown repeatedly.