A White Man Arrested at CAA's Sundance Party Following Racially-Charged Incident
A white man was arrested inside Park City's High West Saloon during a packed CAA party amid the Sundance Film Festival. According to a well-placed source, the individual crashed the party by sneaking in through an alternate entrance, as he was not on the RSVP list nor known to be a guest of a confirmed attendee. At the time, CAA was hosting its annual festival party at the popular Park City hotspot to celebrate independent film and the agency's talent.
Around midnight, the man went into the restroom where he allegedly began causing a disturbance in a racially-charged scene that shocked other men using the facilities at the same time. The man allegedly stated how proud he was to be "white." The tense moment continued as the man then exited the restroom and allegedly punched a person of color in the face. Security is said to have intervened quickly to detain the man until police arrived.
Park City Police confirmed the arrest on Saturday morning, but would not comment on any charges or his identity. A representative from the Summit County Sheriff's Office also declined to comment on the charges but confirmed that a man is still behind bars as of Saturday afternoon. The alleged assault was an isolated and discreet incident that did not disrupt the festivities, as CAA bought out the restaurant and likely kept many guests unaware of the police presence.
The Sundance Film Festival runs through February 1st, marking a milestone year as it is the final Sundance in Park City, Utah, before it moves to a new home in Boulder, Colorado. Arrests are not uncommon during the festival, as reflected in a recent interview with The Park Record, where Dave Edmunds, a former sheriff of Summit County and Park City police officer, described the scene as "pure insanity" and "as debauched and as crazy as I’ve ever seen or heard of in law enforcement."
