Man in security incident charged again

An Indigenous man captured on video being beaten by a security guard at a downtown store is now accused of threatening to kill another guard, amid heightened tensions between Manitoba’s security industry and the Indigenous community.

Police have not publicly identified the man, but multiple sources said he is the same person charged in a shoplifting incident that happened at a Dollarama store on Feb. 28.

Video shared online showed the 46-year-old man being thrown to the ground, punched and kicked by a 23-year-old security guard, who was later charged.

The footage sparked outrage from Indigenous leaders, who raised concerns of racism and demanded the province mandate cultural awareness training in the security sector. Meanwhile, security companies say their employees are facing extreme and regular violence.

“I’m thinking that everything is reaching a boiling point right now,” said Ron D’Errico, president and founder of Impact Security, which employed the guard facing charges.

“It’s getting more dangerous out there. Many guards are getting knives pulled on them, guns pulled on them. Some are getting punched from behind where they don’t even see the attack coming… It has drastically changed — every year it gets worse.”

The suspect was facing charges of robbery and uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm in connection to the first incident, but was released from custody on a condition to appear in court at a later date.

He was then arrested Monday outside the Radisson Hotel around 12:30 a.m., the Free Press confirmed.

According to a news release, the Winnipeg Police Service arrested the suspect near the intersection of Portage Avenue and Smith Street after he “threatened to kill a security guard with a knife” when he was asked to leave the hotel vestibule.

Responding officers arrested him minutes later, locating a knife in the process, police said.

The suspect, who was again released on an undertaking, is now facing charges of possession of a weapon and failing to comply with a probation order.

Staff at the Radisson were tight-lipped about the incident Tuesday, and deferred comment to Canad Inns, which owns and operates the hotel. The company did not return requests for comment.

The Dollarama closed briefly after the February incident, but has since reopened.

Impact Security Group, which was providing security services at the store, said the guard involved in the initial incident was removed from active duty while it investigates.

Police arrested him on March 2 on charges of assault with a weapon, unauthorized possession of a prohibited weapon or restricted weapon and uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm.

Investigators said the guard threatened to kill the alleged shoplifter and struck him with brass knuckles after stopping him from leaving the business. WPS have not released the security guard’s name.

On Tuesday, guards from Toro-494, another Winnipeg-based security company, were keeping watch on the store.

Dollarama did not respond to a request for comment.

D’Errico declined to comment on both incidents, but spoke generally about the challenges security guards face in Manitoba. He said he has worked in the industry for nearly four decades and things have never been worse.

The man accused in both incidents is slated to appear before the courts on May 11. The security guard is also scheduled to appear at a later date.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca