Police Officer Who Was Slanted in TikTok Video by Casino Patron Gets $150K Ruling in Her Favor

A Bristol, Virginia, police officer has had justice on her side after a rowdy patron at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol refused to leave a restricted area of the gaming floor and publicly accused the officer of assaulting her and removing her illegally. A pair of influencers, one being Stephanie Bates and her husband, allegedly accessed the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol’s VIP area without permission, picking up a fight with security, which tried to remove the couple. Rowdy Casino-Slash-Influencer Gets Aggressive – Spreads Libel After refusing to do so, casino security called police, with Bristol Officer Lilly-Kay Tomlinson responding to the scene and intervening with Bates already visibly aggressive. The incident took place at the casino on September 6, 2025, but it would have deep consequences for everyone involved. Eventually, Tomlinson was removed from the premises after threatening security and the officer and issuing insults. At one point, she called Tomlinson a “b**ch,” although to her followers, Bates only said that she had been wrongfully removed from the casino and assaulted by an officer who “yanked her arm.” Tomlinson was targeted by the video, which reached more than 1.2 million views and accumulated 58,000 likes. The Bristol Police Department, however, did not stand idly by and released body-camera footage showing the entire interaction, which showed Bates calling the officer names, including “dumb.” The case quieted down, but Tomlinson decided not to let this one slide. She filed a lawsuit against Bates, arguing that she had purposefully spread false statements that had damaged her professional reputation. Bates was examined by doctors who ruled out physical harm, which would also be used in the case against her. Officer Tomlinson Gets Her Justice Ultimately, a final verdict has been reached, with Bates ordered to pay $75,000 in compensatory damages and $75,000 in punitive damages, after merely 20 minutes of jury deliberation. “I think there’s an importance in standing up for yourself. I think with law enforcement you have to stand up for what’s right and what’s wrong. It felt like what was done was a lie and was wrong,” Tomlinson told local media outlet WCYB NBC 5. As to Bates? By her appearing in court, she had already realized that she was on the hook for a financial penalty, offering a public apology and admitting that she could have handled the situation better. The $150,000 penalty is definitely on the higher end of similar rulings and may be appealed.