Man arraigned in assault of security guard at Foxwoods
Tribal member accused of hitting security officer during fracas
A New London judge ordered a 28-year-old Mashantucket Pequot Tribal member Tuesday to stay away from Connecticut casinos and not to go within 100 yards of a Foxwoods Resort Casino security officer he is accused of punching in the face during a melee on Aug. 28.
Jukumu Reels-Felder, also known as Jukum Reels, made his first appearance in Superior Court on charges of breach of peace and second-degree assault. He told Judge Karyl L. Carrasquilla he plans to hire a private attorney. She entered a not guilty plea on his behalf and continued his case, along with a motor vehicle case from Aug. 11, to Oct. 2.
The victim, Security Supervisor Brooke Wyngaard, 35, of Preston, suffered multiple facial fractures and a broken nose in the incident.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit written by Mashantucket Tribal Police Officer Michael Zmayefski, security officers and police were called to the food court inside the Fox Towers at 2:18 a.m. Upon his arrival, Zmayefski said he saw a large group of people pushing and shoving one another “in a mob-like fashion.” A man who appeared to be highly intoxicated was lying on the ground receiving treatment from emergency medical personnel.
The group of people ran through the food court toward the parking garage, and as Zmayefski passed through the doors to the doors to the elevators, he saw Wyngaard lying on the ground with blood coming from her nose. She barely responded when the officer shook her right shoulder, according to the affidavit.
Surveillance staff notified police that the assailant had gone up the stairway to the parking garage and fled in a white car. Officers reviewed video footage of the incident, which showed the security officer attempting to stop the man later identified as Reels-Felder by grabbing his shirt. Reels-Felder turned and punched her, and she fell backward to the ground, according to the affidavit.
A member of the police department identified ReelsFelder as the assailant after viewing a still photo provided by the Surveillance Department, according to the affidavit.
Zmayefski said Wyngaard’s left eye was swollen shut, her nose was bleeding and at times she would cough up blood when he interviewed her two hours after the incident at the William W. Backus Hospital. She said she had responded to the food court fight, then followed the group of people to the elevator area, where a man turned and punched her.
Reels-Felder turned himself in to tribal police three days after the incident. He was served with the arrest warrant and posted a $50,000 surety bond.