Winnipeg police say they are aware of videos circulating online showing what critics are calling an on-duty security guard\u2019s \u201cviolent use of force\u201d while restraining an alleged shoplifter over the weekend.<\/p>\n
The Winnipeg Police Service says it only learned of the videos on Sunday, a day after the alleged shoplifter at the Dollarama on Portage Avenue was charged with robbery and uttering threats.<\/p>\n
A follow-up investigation by the WPS major crimes unit is now underway.<\/p>\n
The video in question appears to show a security guard straddling a man who\u2019s lying on the floor. The guard, who\u2019s wearing an Impact Security uniform, punches the man \u2013 possibly using a metal object that resembles brass knuckles \u2013 repeatedly bangs his head on the ground, and stomps on him.<\/p>\n
\u201cStay down or I\u2019ll (expletive) kill you,\u201d the security guard tells the man. \u201cTry me. Touch me you (expletive) idiot.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou threaten me? Who the (expletive) do you think you are?<\/p>\n
\u201cThe cops are coming,\u201d he tells him.<\/p>\n
The security guard can also be heard shouting at other customers in the store. \u201c(Expletive) you. Shut the (expletive) up. You want to go next?\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not clear what led to that specific moment in the interaction, as the video \u2013 filmed by someone inside the Dollarama \u2013 begins with the man already on the ground.<\/p>\n
Winnipeg police have identified the victim as a 46-year-old who allegedly concealed $95 worth of items and was \u201cattempting to leave without paying,\u201d authorities say.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe security guard, a 23-year-old man, intervened and attempted to stop the suspect from exiting the store, resulting in a physical altercation. Police were contacted and officers arrived shortly thereafter,\u201d police said.<\/p>\n
The man was released and is scheduled to appear in court \u201cat a later date.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC), which identified the alleged shoplifter as an Indigenous man, is asking Impact Security to immediately suspend the security guard and launch a third-party investigation.<\/p>\n
The AMC says it filed a formal complaint under The Private Investigators and Security Guards Act requesting an \u201cimmediate review of the security guard\u2019s licensing status and the company\u2019s compliance history.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not about rushing to judgment,\u201d said Grand Chief Kyra Wilson. \u201cIt is about transparency, accountability, and ensuring that First Nations people are treated with dignity and respect. No one should fear violence while shopping in their own city. The safety and dignity of our people is non-negotiable.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat I saw in that video is concerning. While we must allow the proper investigative process to unfold, the images raise serious questions about use-of-force practices and how First Nations people are being treated in public spaces. If it is confirmed that a weapon or metal object was involved, that would be extremely serious.\u201d<\/p>\n
Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO) also condemned \u201cthe use of excessive and violent force displayed by a security guard against an Indigenous man.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we are seeing is not an isolated incident,\u201d said MKO Grand Chief Garrison Settee. \u201cIt reflects systemic racism that First Nations people continue to experience at the hands of security personnel and other authorities. Even where theft is alleged, violence is not justified.\u201d<\/p>\n
The MKO is asking for a review of the use-of-force policies, and an accounting of displayed and concealed weapons used by security personnel.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Winnipeg police say they are aware of videos circulating online showing what critics are calling an on-duty security…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":510412,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194296],"tags":[49,48,22073],"class_list":["post-510411","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-winnipeg","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-winnipeg"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/510411","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=510411"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/510411\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/510412"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=510411"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=510411"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=510411"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}