Police said longstanding tensions between two families fueled the fight, which spilled from a Westlake ballroom into the parking lot.
WESTLAKE, Ohio — Three men were arrested and two people were hospitalized after a large fight broke out during an Aug. 21 wedding reception in suburban Cleveland, where police said a dispute between two families escalated from the ballroom into the parking lot.
Westlake police were called to the La Centre Conference & Banquet Facility at about 8:50 p.m. after multiple 911 callers reported a large fight. Officers arrived to find dozens of people outside the venue, with some still involved in verbal and physical confrontations. The response became large enough that officers from Bay Village, Rocky River and Fairview Park were called to assist Westlake police in restoring order.
Police said two people were taken to nearby hospitals with injuries that were not considered life-threatening. Video released after the incident showed a fight unfolding inside the ballroom before moving outside. Other footage showed guests leaving the building as officers arrived and worked to separate those involved. Police said alcohol was not believed to have caused the confrontation and instead pointed to a history of hostility between two families attending the event.
Authorities arrested Ali Wahdan, 47, of Cleveland, on a charge of violating a temporary protection order. Police said the order required him to stay away from certain people who were at the wedding because of earlier conflicts. Investigators said his presence at the reception contributed to the circumstances surrounding the confrontation. The charge remains an allegation, and the available reports did not describe a final court resolution.
Raed Mahmoud Sulaiman, 46, of Dearborn Heights, Michigan, was arrested on charges of misdemeanor assault, inducing panic and tampering with evidence. Police accused Sulaiman of taking a butter knife from a table setting and using it to threaten or chase people during the confrontation. Investigators also alleged that he discarded the utensil as officers arrived. Video reviewed by local news organizations showed a man identified by police as Sulaiman holding the utensil as other people moved toward him.
A third man, Abdallah Wahdan, 48, of Westlake, was charged with aggravated menacing after police said he threatened other guests during the disturbance. Authorities have not publicly established guilt against any of the men. Police said the cases were being filed in Rocky River Municipal Court, and investigators indicated that additional charges remained possible after prosecutors reviewed the incident.
Police body-camera footage also recorded an attendee telling an officer that his group had been dancing when four brothers attacked them. That statement represents the guest’s account of how part of the confrontation began. The reports reviewed did not establish the identities of all four people referred to in that claim or clarify all of the family relationships among those involved, and only three men were publicly identified as having been arrested in connection with the incident.
Surveillance, cellphone and police video documented several stages of the disturbance. Investigators said the fighting began inside the banquet hall, where chairs were knocked over amid the confrontation, before groups moved into the parking lot. About 45 people were outside when officers arrived, according to local reporting citing police. Paramedics were brought in after officers separated those involved and secured the scene.
Once police restored order, authorities said the wedding celebration was able to continue without another reported disturbance. The incident was referred for prosecutorial review, while the charges against the three men were directed to Rocky River Municipal Court. Reports reviewed as of Thursday did not describe a final disposition of those cases or announce additional arrests stemming from the wedding brawl.
Author note: Last updated September 10, 2026.