Monopoly Game Gets Violent: Father and Son End Up in Hospital After Sword Fight

Two men in Brussels did not pass go, did not collect $200, and went directly to the hospital after a dispute over a Monopoly game turned violent. According to police, four people were playing Monopoly outside their home at around 5 a.m. on April 2, local news outlet La Libre Belgique reported. The game was apparently so raucous that it woke up their neighbors, a father and son, who came outside to ask the group to wrap it up and leave. They did not, and things escalated from there. Read on to find out what happened next.

Scuffle for Sword Ends in Injuries

 The players and the irritated father and son argued, and the son went back into the house and retrieved a katana sword. Katana is a Japanese weapon with a long, curved blade once used by samurai in ancient Japan. The quarrel turned into a physical fight. "The player tried to grab the katana and removed the holster. The son tried to get it back," a police spokesperson told the news outlet. At some point, the sword's scabbard became damaged, exposing the blade and slicing both men. 

Men Hospitalized, Arrested

Both the son and one of the players were wounded and taken to the hospital. The son, who sustained a deep cut to an artery, was reportedly in critical condition. Both the injured Monopoly player, who was treated and discharged, and the still-hospitalized son were arrested.

Another Monopoly Game Goes Wrong

This isn't the first time a Monopoly game has gone wrong. Last November, a family game night in Tulsa, Oklahoma, ended in gunfire after it sparked an argument between John Armstrong and his stepfather. "After knocking over the Monopoly board and turning over furniture, another family member told Armstrong and his stepfather to take the fight outside," police told WSAZ. The two left the house, where Armstrong pulled out a pistol and chased his stepfather and stepsister down the street at gunpoint, police said. 

"Something Set Him Off"

The stepsister called 911, saying Armstrong had chased them down the street with a gun and fired a shot. When officers arrived, they arrested Armstrong and found Monopoly money and game pieces scattered around the living room. "He said he was aiming for the ground when he shot at them. But we came close to having a homicide over a game of Monopoly. We don't know if it was about game pieces, play money, real money, but something set him off," said Tulsa police officer Danny Bean. Armstrong was charged with assault with a deadly weapon. "Armstrong won't be able to use the 'get out of jail free' card for this one," police cracked in a Facebook post.

Social Media Responds

Twitter commenters were amused by the story. Several blamed the game. "Imagine what's happening when they're playing Uno," one commenter said. "I've definitely got into a physical altercation during Monopoly before. It's part of the game," wrote another. "It never ends in peace when I play Monopoly with my friends. One thing we don't do, is to fight each other," noted another. "I've always said Monopoly ruins friendships, this incident tops the cake!" another man opined.