In this screenshot, UConn student Luke Gatti is seen arguing with a Student Union manager after being denied service at the Union Street Market. (Screenshot/YouTube)
A UConn student was arrested Sunday after getting into an altercation with employees at the Union Street Market in the Student Union.
A video of the incident, posted on YouTube and the Buy or Sell Facebook group at the UConn, has gone viral, drawing more than 1.6 million views. It shows the student, Luke Gatti, arguing with a Student Union employee after he was denied service for consuming alcohol in the establishment, according to the video’s dialogue.
The video has been circulated by numerous national news outlets and websites, including Barstool Sports, Deadspin, Gawker and USA Today’s For The Win, among numerous others.
The incident happened just before 10 p.m. on Sunday night.
Gatti, 19, of Bayville, New York, was arrested on Oct. 4 at 9:59 p.m. and charged with breach of peace in the second degree and criminal trespass in the first degree. Police received the call at 9:55 p.m. at the report of a verbal disturbance, with a follow-up caller updating police that Gatti had gotten physical and was detained by employees.
Upon arrival, police learned through witness statements that Gatti was drinking alcohol in the market and refused to leave after being denied service, according to the police report.
Dining services assistant director of retail operations Charles Couture said dining services could not offer any comment or additional information due to the nature of the ongoing investigation.
The video is over nine minutes long, and shows Gatti arguing with the manager and using excessive profanity – even going as far as to shove him multiple times. The manager remained calm and tried to get him to leave the facility numerous times. Gatti wanted bacon jalapeño mac ‘n’ cheese, and could not understand why he was being denied service due to his intoxication.
A few students tried to intervene and direct Gatti out of the market, but he became physical with them as well and still insisted on ordering his food. Two other employees got involved, and one eventually tackled Gatti and detained him until UConn police arrived.
WARNING: This video contains explicit language.
Dining services assistant director of retail operations Charles Couture said dining services could not offer any comment or additional information due to the nature of the ongoing investigation.
“Federal privacy provisions prevent UConn from discussing potential discipline cases involving individual students,” said university spokesperson Stephanie Reitz.
While the investigation is ongoing, there is no decision as to what lies ahead for Gatti. Penalties for violating the student code range from probation to expulsion, Reitz said.
Gatti has been in trouble with the law before, including two incidents that occurred at UMass Amherst in 2014.
The first incident involved Gatti displaying disorderly conduct when he made gestures at arresting officer Richard MacLean and called the Caucasian officer the N-word following a wild party, according to Mass Live.
The second incident occurred only two weeks later, involving another disorderly conduct charge, along with assault and battery of a police officer at another party in the same area. Gatti was arrested and charged for both altercations.
Gatti’s bond for the incident in Storrs was posted at $1,500 and his court date is scheduled for Oct. 13, according to UConn police records.
Molly Stadnicki is a staff writer for The Daily Campus. She can be reached via email at molly.stadnicki@uconn.edu. She tweets @molly_stadnicki.