Group Refuses To Wear Masks, Assaults Bowling Alley Employees

GLEN BURNIE, MD — A group of eight bowling alley patrons were involved in an altercation Saturday that led to the bowling alley manager and an employee at Bowl America being assaulted. The incident started when the customers were reminded to wear face coverings inside the business.

"It's troubling," Anne Arundel County police spokesman Marc Limansky told WBAL. "They were refusing to wear their masks for safety."

Police said the manager's request of the patrons to put on masks led to an argument inside the bowling alley. The manager asked them to leave and they refused until the manager began to call 911. The manager then followed the group outside.

"This escalated into an assault where several individuals assaulted the manager. An employee came to the aid of the manager, he also got assaulted," Limansky said. "The manager ended up having to be hospitalized due to him being knocked down to the ground and punched and kicked by suspects."

Limansky told WBAL that establishments who do not follow safety guidelines established by the county and the state can be shut down. He believed the manager was trying to make sure everyone at the bowling alley followed those guidelines.

The individuals involved in the bowling alley assault could face first- and second-degree assault charges, according to the police department.