Delegate sues greyhound track over alleged assault: Security guard, patron also named in lawmaker's suit

BECKLEY - A state legislator who says she was assaulted whileplaying a slot machine at Tri-State Race Track and Gaming Center inNitro has filed a lawsuit against the track's owners, a patron and asecurity guard.

Delegate Sally Susman, D-Raleigh, and her husband, former stateSen. Alan Susman, filed the lawsuit last week in Kanawha CircuitCourt in Charleston.

Susman said in her complaint that another patron, Rubin Pinnix,attempted to rob her on Sept. 21 while she played a slot machine,then attacked her.

She claims the greyhound track, which is operated by Racing Corp.,was negligent and obstructed justice.

Susman alleges in the lawsuit that Pinnix demanded she hand overmoney after she had been playing the machine for at least sixminutes. After persisting, she alleges Pinnix struck her in the chestand threw her to the floor, "greatly aggravating previous injuriesshe had suffered and causing her permanent and irreparable injury,"the complaint said.

Susman further alleges Terry Thompson, a Nitro police officer whowas working as a security guard, also assaulted her while stoppingthe altercation. Susman's lawsuit said a video recording of theincident reveals the officer caused bruises on her left arm.

Racing Corp. Vice President Daniel Adkins said the firm's lawyersand insurance company are handling the matter.

"There is information contrary to the filed complaint, significantinformation," Adkins said Wednesday. He wouldn't elaborate.

Susman, who has publicly opposed gambling, said Wednesday she hasnever said she doesn't gamble.

Susman, who was re-elected to a two-year term in the House ofDelegates last month, opposed Gov. Bob Wise's proposal in 2001 tolegalize and license 9,000 "gray machines" as a means of generatingmillions of dollars in state revenue.

She fought the legislation until the end, when she voted for themeasure "because I don't want us to leave the machines here and nottax them."

On Wednesday, Susman said, "You can't stop gambling. If it'sthere, it's there. You have church raffles, fire department bingos... I didn't want to expand it."