Police Arrest Suicidal Man with Knife after Commerce Cardroom Evacuated

10:18
07 Feb

The Commerce Casino in Los Angeles had to be evacuated after a man armed with a knife reportedly threatened security staff and was arrested after a 2-hour stand-off with police...

The casino, currently hosting the 30th anniversary running of the Los Angeles Poker Classic, had about 200 players in its cardroom when the incident occurred just after 5.30am last Tuesday.

An eyewitness, Aaron Sessions, who was in the poker room at the time of the incident, stated of the unnamed suspect:

“He was playing for a little bit, and then he stopped playing, and then everyone was like 'This guy's not playing a hand, he's not doing anything.’ ”

He added:

“People were kind of confused. He was on something.”

However, police refuted claims that the man threatened security staff with a knife, claiming instead that he was suicidal. Sheriff's Captain, Pilar Chavez, stated:

“Apparently he was yelling that he didn’t want to live anymore.”

With the poker room evacuated, a mental health crisis team and negotiator were called, and shortly before 8am the man was seen being wheeled into an L.A. County Fire Dept. ambulance.

Nobody, including the man, was hurt during the incident. A 6-inch knife was recovered at the scene.

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The worrying incident comes just weeks after four people were stabbed after 41-year-old Scott Harmier launched a frenzied knife attack against fellow players at the Last Frontier Casino in La Center, Washington.

Harmier, of Vancouver, can be seen on CCTV reaching under the poker table and pulling out a large hunting knife. He then stabs the player next to him five times, in the head and chest.

He then stabbed a woman sat at the table before stabbing two others as he fled the cardroom, later arrested after a high-speed police chase.

The Clark County Sheriff’s Office charged Scott Harmier, 41, of Vancouver, Washington, with four counts of felony assault and he is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday morning.

In a statement on its Facebook page, the Last Frontier casino stated:

“An unprovoked and surprise attack occurred at our casino involving our customers. The suspect in question is in custody... Our thoughts and prayers are extended for all affected.”

In October, a similar horrific attack left two dead and half a dozen injured when a knife-wielding man went on a stabbing rampage close to the Wynn Casino on the Las Vegas Strip.

The suspect in that case, 32-year-old Yoni Christian Barrios, first attacked two showgirls, chasing and then stabbing them when they fell outside the Wynn casino.

Barrios, 32, has been ordered to remain in a state psychiatric facility until doctors determine he can understand the criminal charges against him.