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Winnipeg Police have charged a security guard with assault after an online clip surfaced of someone appearing to use brass knuckles on a would-be shoplifter.

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A 23-year-old was arrested late Monday and charged with assault with a weapon, unauthorized possession of a prohibited or restricted weapon and uttering threats.

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He was released on an undertaking.

Police said they were called to a Dollarama in downtown Winnipeg on Saturday, where they arrested a 46-year-old man who had been detained. He’s accused of attempting to steal $95 worth of merchandise from the store before the security guard stopped him. He was charged with robbery and uttering threats.

Incident allegedly caught on video

After the incident, an onlooker posted a video on social media that appears to show a guard beating a man, who is laying on the floor with his arms covering his head.

“Stay down or I’ll f—ing kill you. Try me. Touch me, you f—ing idiot,” the guard says.

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People off-screen yell at the guard and he responds, “He hit me first, f— you!” and “You want to go next?”

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Dollarama responds

A Dollarama spokesperson said the company is committed to treating everyone with respect.

“Licensed third-party security firms engaged for security and loss prevention purposes are required to uphold these same standards and we do not authorize the use of force in any situation,” Lyla Radmanovich said Tuesday in an email to The Canadian Press.

“Following the incident, we put the security firm on notice while we investigate why protocol was not followed and we continue to co-operate with the relevant authorities in their investigation.”

The alleged would-be thief has not been identified, but APTN News reported that he is an Indigenous man with First Nations advocates condemned the incident. A rally was held outside the Dollarama on Winnipeg’s Portage Ave. with about 50 people holding signs that said, “Violent employees,” and, “Shop somewhere else,” near the storefront widows.

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Calls for third-party probe

Activists called for a public acknowledgement and apology from Impact Security along with a “third-party independent investigation” in a written demand tacked to the store’s front door.

The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs said the video raises serious questions about use-of-force practices and how First Nations people are treated in public spaces.

The advocacy group, which represents First Nations in Manitoba, said it has filed a formal complaint with the province. It requested a prompt review of the guard’s licensing status and the company’s compliance history.

The Southern Chiefs’ Organization said this wasn’t the first such incident and that First Nations people are habitually profiled and discriminated against in retail stores. The group also called for a review of the incident including use-of-force and de-escalation techniques and cultural sensitivity to Indigenous people.

— With files from The Canadian Press.

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