Coney Island security guard not charged after go-kart brawl leaves student in coma
Coney Island NY July 3 2021 A Brooklyn college student is in critical condition after hitting his head on the pavement at the Coney Island amusement park during an altercation Tuesday with a security guard, police said.
New York City police arrested Rayon Lovett, 34, in the assault of the 21-year-old student, whose name was not released to the press.
The student was on a date with a 19-year-old female at Coney Island when Lovett purportedly tried to eject the couple for seemingly reckless behavior on the go-karts.
The couple allegedly dangled their legs over the side of the ride, which prompted Lovett to yell at them, police said.
Lovett then tried to physically remove the student, eventually striking him several times in the head until the student fell and hit his head on the pavement, according to the New York Police Department (NYPD).
Police responded to the initial call of an injured male at 7:30 p.m. After the student was taken to NYU Langone for treatement, police were again called at 9:00 p.m. by the date, who reported the assault, the NYPD said.
Lovette was initially charged with second- and third-degree assault, DCPI spokesperson Detective Sophia Mason told Fox News.
However, prosecutors declined to pursue charges after video of the confrontation appeared to show the student as the aggressor, going chest-to-chest with the security guard, the New York Daily News reported.
The two then started fighting, with the student receiving more severe injuries.
“There’s insufficient evidence at this time to prove that the guard was not justified in using force to defend himself,” said Oren Yaniv, a spokesman for Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. “The investigation is ongoing, and we will continue to gather evidence.”
The student remains in critical condition, with doctors needing to drain blood from the front of his head to relieve pressure and perform surgery on a skull fracture.
His family said he is connected to a ventilator.
The victim was studying computer engineering at SUNY Albany.
