Richard Swan says he and his wife had a close call at Pechanga Casino on Oct. 20, 2008.
"I nearly lost my life," he said.
After an apparent dispute with another casino patron, the Swans said they were asked to leave.
The dispute was with a patron who said he had walked away from a slot machine and then returned, at which time he claimed that Richard's wife, Jonne, had taken $44 in machine credits from him.
Jonne Swan said the man followed her through the casino shouting profanities. She said she and her husband were scared and called security. But she said security asked her and her husband to leave. She said she and her husband had taken about 20 steps toward the resort hotel to retrieve their luggage when two security guards tackled her husband.
Richard Swan said he was slammed to the marble floor and handcuffed; his glasses were broken, his watch smashed, his wrist sprained, his knees bruised and his face bloodied.
Swan, 70, now has a half-inch scar on his face. He has a pacemaker and takes medication. After the alleged beating, he said he was taken by ambulance to a Temecula hospital, where he needed at CAT scan for the head injury.
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The Swans filed an assault claim against the two guards.
Late this afternoon, Pechanga issued a statement. Spokesperson Amy Minniear of the Pechanga Development Corporation said, "We are aware of the incident. Mr. Swan was being removed from the property when the incident occurred. We have reviewed the situation carefully as it relates to compliance with our policies and procedures. The officer involved is no longer employed by Pechanga. Pechanga deeply regrets that this happened. We hope to resolve the matter with Mr. Swan as soon as possible."
