Tampa Police say around 9 p.m. during the reception one guest became upset when the groom started tossing money onto the dance floor for the children to scoop up. The groom and his brother confronted the guest and asked him to leave. Tempers flared and some pushing and shoving took place. Some of the wedding guests chose sides and that led to an all out brawl that spilled out into the parking lot. Investigators say nearly 40 people were involved.
Tampa police officers arrived to break up the crowd and one of the first officers to respond was hit several times while trying to break up the fights.
Brian Hochstein, a manager, at The Rusty Pelican said "It was a beautiful wedding up to that point. Nothing like this has ever happened here before." Hochstein says he hopes the parties involved have resolved their issues in a peaceful manner.
The fighting ruined the reception and some of the guests and wedding party members headed to their hotel nearby where the fighting erupted all over again in the parking lot of the Marriott Residence Inn which is located at 4312 Boy Scout Boulevard. A woman put the groom's 74 year old grandmother, Mary Wright in a choke hold.
Wright told 10 Connects that she was trying to calm down the crowd and tell them not to fight on such a special occasion. She says that's when her attacker said "I'm going to have to choke you out." Wright says she lowered her chin and managed to push the woman's arms away from her neck. Wright says she wasn't hurt.
http://www.news-press.com/article/20091 ... 10002/1075
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