Tahoe Biltmore ‘riot’ leads to five arrests

Several hundred people rioted at the Tahoe Biltmore Saturday night, in a fight that took officers from four different agencies to break up.

Washoe County Sheriff’s Sgt. Bill Devine said about 500 people were involved in a “riot” around 10 p.m. in the main lobby and parking lot of the Tahoe Biltmore casino. Deputies had to threaten the crowd with Tazers ” which remained unused “-before the crowd dispersed, Devine said.

Five arrests were made, one for a Latino male who allegedly struck a female and four others for failure to disperse and obstruction of justice. The Latino male sustained an injury while fighting officers when a dog from the Washoe County Sheriff’s K-9 unit bit him.

After the arrests, Devine indicated that members of the crowd began to threaten deputies, and the officers had to produce Tazers, though they didn’t use them, to subdue the crowd.

Not all those involved were fighting, said Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Scott Simon.

According to Devine, about 25 law enforcement officers, from Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, Nevada Highway Patrol, California Highway Patrol and Placer County Sheriff’s Office responded to the incident.

Devine confirmed that one other subject sustained an injury when a glass bottle broke in his own hand. Tahoe Biltmore security could not be reached for comment.

The investigation is ongoing, Simon said.