A Philadelphia-area woman is recovering in the hospital after being tackled by multiple security guards at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, in an incident captured on video that has gone viral and prompted the hotel to suspend several staff members.
As theGrio has reported on similar incidents, racial profiling and excessive force against Black people in public spaces has repeatedly led to viral moments that force institutions to respond only after the footage spreads, and Black people continue to face disproportionate scrutiny and aggression even in spaces where they are paying customers. BreakingAC.com reported that Camillia Williams, 36, a repeat guest at the hotel, suffered a dislocated leg, bruising across her body, and limited mobility in her wrists. The confrontation began around 1:30 a.m. Thursday when her room key card stopped working.
Her daughter, Samirah Mungin, documented the incident in a video posted to TikTok that spread widely. “My mom and her fiancé are regulars at the Hard Rock Hotel. However, in the last two trips, my mother has received key cards to the hotel rooms that have not granted her access to her rooms,” Mungin said. “She’s had to go back and forth to the front desk to get replacement keys that never end up working.”
When Williams went to the front desk to file a complaint, security called Atlantic City police. Officers also found an old 2012 warrant from Burlington County for a DUI charge. Williams was processed, charged with disorderly conduct on a summons, and released after her daughter paid the fine. The two then returned to the hotel to retrieve their belongings and locate Williams’ fiancé, which is when the physical confrontation occurred. Video shows her being tackled near the guest elevators by multiple guards as her daughter screamed, “Leave my mother!” in the background.
“We were paying guests at the hotel,” Mungin said in the video. “We are not criminals. We were not vandalizing. Neither one of us had bags on us. We were completely unarmed.” She noted her mother is 5’4”, 160 pounds, and was not threatening anyone. Mungin also addressed critics who questioned whether her mother bore responsibility. “When we see a video of a woman being brutally abused, especially a Black woman, we automatically assume that she is in some way at fault.”
Hard Rock suspended several security guards pending a comprehensive investigation and reached out to Williams to resolve the situation. The hotel said in a statement that guest and team safety remain its top priority and referred questions to the Atlantic City Police Department due to the active investigation.
A GoFundMe for Williams’ legal representation and medical costs has been established.
