A simmering rivalry between two Ohio families erupted into chaos at a wedding, resulting in a widespread brawl that left several guests injured, prompted a multi-department police response, and led to the arrest of three participants.
Cleveland’s FOX 8 reported that on August 21, Ali Wahdan, 47, Raed Mahmoud Sulaiman, 46, and Abdallah Wahdan, 48, were apprehended following a fight at the La Centre Banquet Facility in Westlake.
Raed Mahmoud Sulaiman, hailing from Dearborn Heights, Michigan, faced charges for assault, inducing panic, and tampering with evidence. Authorities alleged that he brandished a butter knife at guests, discarding it when police arrived.
Ali Wahdan faced charges for breaching a temporary protection order, while Abdallah Wahdan of Westlake was charged with aggravated menacing, accused of threatening other attendees.
Surveillance video captured the altercation at the La Centre Banquet Facility, showcasing how deep-seated animosity between the families erupted during the wedding celebrations in Westlake, Ohio. (Westlake Police Department)
News Media obtained 911 calls, body camera footage and other video showing how the fight unfolded, beginning inside the banquet hall before spilling into the parking lot.
“There’s a fight at our venue,” the banquet hall’s general manager told a 911 operator, describing “a bunch of people” fighting inside and outside.
“Someone’s bleeding,” he added, telling the operator that one man with a head injury was in a bathroom as the fight continued.
Body camera footage shows a wedding guest speaking with police outside La Centre Banquet Facility in Westlake, Ohio, after a brawl broke out during an Aug. 21 wedding celebration. (Westlake Police Department)
When asked what was behind the brawl, the manager said it involved relatives.
Another 911 call captured shouting in the background, while a separate caller pleaded for police and said he had been attacked.
“Somebody started beating me,” the caller said.
Dashcam footage from the night of Aug. 21 shows an officer arriving at the venue to find a crowded parking lot filled with vehicles and people dressed for the wedding. As the response grew, Westlake police called for additional officers and requested help from neighboring departments.
Dashcam footage shows a crowd gathered outside La Centre Banquet Facility as police arrive to break up a brawl during an Aug. 21 wedding celebration in Westlake, Ohio. (Westlake Police Department)
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Body camera footage shows officers moving through the crowd and trying to keep groups separated as guests poured out of the venue.
One man approached an officer to make a police report and said his group had been attacked while dancing.
“We were dancing, and four brothers jumped on us,” he told police during the encounter captured on the officer’s body camera.
Cellphone video shows guests inside La Centre Banquet Facility in Westlake, Ohio, as a brawl broke out during an Aug. 21 wedding celebration. (Westlake Police Department)
Cellphone video from inside the ballroom captured another part of the brawl as screams broke out among guests. A man in a suit, identified by police as Sulaiman, held what appeared to be a butter knife as several men rushed toward him and struggled to restrain him.
Chairs were knocked over as nearby guests moved away from the confrontation.
Paramedics were called to treat injured guests as officers worked to bring the scene under control.
Police Capt. Jerry Vogel told FOX 8 that officers knew people had already been injured but did not initially know whether anyone had a weapon.
Once the groups were separated, investigators began piecing together what sparked the fight. Police said alcohol was not a factor and instead pointed to longstanding bad blood between the two families.
Investigators said Ali Wahdan was subject to a temporary protection order involving members of a family at the wedding and was required to leave when he encountered them.
“Under the law, if you see this person, even if you’re there accidentally at the same time, you have to leave,” Vogel said. “It is your responsibility to leave.”
Police said Wahdan instead remained at the venue, allegedly helping set the confrontation in motion.
Despite the brawl, injuries and three arrests, the wedding was not over. Once officers restored order, the celebration resumed without further trouble.
The charges against the three men were filed in Rocky River Municipal Court.