Detained Shoplifter

[T202]

I heard this the other day on the scanner. A store loss prevention officer was attempting to detain a shoplifter that became violent. The shoplifter was fighting with the loss prevention officer in the store parking lot and some of the store patrons came to his aid and helped him detain the bad guy until the police arrived.
Those store patrons deserve a big thank you.

[Mall Director]

One of my Supervisors I hired a while back was a "good samaratin" which was in our parking lot that as a civillian, that had helped us out when a weaponed subject fought with us and then tried to run off. I have had so many people get the "bug", and help out. Every time I thank them greatly... I am not opposed to help when we need it.

I thinks its cute when these civillians get all jazzed that they get in on the "action" and help. Generally we treat them to a free meal afterwards!

[HotelSecurity]

One of the disadvantages of working semi plain clothes (just a badge around the neck) is that when the poo poo hits the fan sometimes bystanders don't realize I'm Security & think it's a fight between 2 people

[Lawson]

Yeah, I knew a guy that was an LP person for a store once. By looking at him, you wouldnt think he had done a day in security... nose rings, eyebrow rings, tattoos, the works. He was telling me about how when he went out to detain people, they would start fighting and he would get ladies who would come up and start pelting him with their purses thinking he was attacking someone.

As I thought about it, if I saw him fighting with someone, I probably would have tried to pull him off as well.

[LPGuy]

*applauds*

Always nice to have a little backup on your side. In the store that I work in, I don't have too many shoplifters violently resist, but in the cases where I have had trouble, I've never had someone jump in to help like that.

Usually a secondary officer is just seconds away, fortunately...

[LPGuy]

One of the disadvantages of working semi plain clothes (just a badge around the neck) is that when the poo poo hits the fan sometimes bystanders don't realize I'm Security & think it's a fight between 2 people

Hence the importance of continually yelling, "Security! Quit resisting!"

[Guest]

Not a shoplifting story and didn't happen to me but...

When working at the college one of my officers tried to arrest a man who snuck onto campus and into a dorm at about 5:30 A.M. to try and see his ex-wife (a student at the college), in violation of a restraining order. The guy spotted my officer approaching and ran.

My officer ended up catching up with the guy off campus and in a residential neighborhood that surrounds the campus, and the fight was on. My officer ended up pinned to the ground by the suspect and during the fight he lost his radio, baton, and OC spray. He probably would have lost his gun also except he had a retention holster. My officer had the suspect in a bear hug so the suspect could not escape, but my officer could not get up without letting go of the suspect.

Along comes an elderly man walking his large dog. He sees my officer and the suspect wrapped up together on the sidewalk, mutually exhausted. The dog walker asked my officer if he needed any help, to which my officer said "Hell, yes!" The dog walker released his dog, which promptly bit the suspect on the ankle and would not let go. The dog walker starts kicking the suspect in the ribs while shouting, "Stop fighting with the police!"

My officer told the dog walker to pick up his radio from the ground and use it to call for help, which the dog walker did. Responding units from the college and the city PD got the suspect into custody.

Sadly, the dog walker never got any kind of official recognition from the college or from city for what he did.

[Eric]

Feb. 24, 2004. 06:47 AM
Inquest begins into 1999 death
Scarborough man died after caught stealing baby food
Held face down by 2 store employees and security guard
PETER SMALL
STAFF REPORTER

Crowds who gathered at Agincourt Mall as a shoplifter was held face down by two Loblaws employees and a security guard yelled that he wasn't breathing, an inquest jury into the man's death has heard.But Loblaws employee Donald Moore, who had his hands on Patrick Shand Jr.'s shoulder blades, said he could feel his back rise and fall, coroner's counsel Robert Ash said yesterday, in summarizing expected evidence at the inquest into the 31-year-old Scarborough man's death more than four years ago."This led him to believe that Shand was still breathing and that he had simply calmed down because he now `knew he was caught,'" Ash said.At that point, Shand's girlfriend, Jennifer Armstrong, intervened. "She was also yelling that Shand was not breathing and pointed out that there was blood coming from his mouth," Ash said.Armstrong and a bystander turned him over, and Moore and the bystander started administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation. But it would prove to be too late.On the morning of Sept. 14, 1999, Shand was caught sneaking two boxes of baby formula cans from the Loblaws at the mall, at Sheppard Ave. E. and Kennedy Rd.Moore and another Loblaws employee, Victor Gentile, along with mall security guard Steven Rafuse, held Shand face down and handcuffed him with the brief assistance of Brinks guard Larry Avramidis, Ash said.The coroner's inquest, which began yesterday, is throwing a spotlight on the use of force by private security guards and employees in making citizens' arrests. Besides the Shand family and Loblaws Supermarkets Ltd., parties with standing are Wackenhut of Canada Ltd. security services, Brink's Canada and the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services, which regulates private security guards.Julian Falconer, the family's lawyer, told reporters that Ontario has no rules governing the use of force by private security guards or employees acting in a security role. "Two cartons of baby formula, under anyone's rationale, cannot equal death," he said."It's a good day for the justice system," said Shand's mother, Lethel Shand, 60, who attended the inquest with her husband, Patrick Sr., 61, and their other son, Colin, 32."All we ever wanted was the truth on how Patrick died," she told reporters. She said she hoped that laws governing security guard training would be improved. "Policing should be left to the police."According to expected evidence, Shand's girlfriend warned the two Loblaws employees as they struggled with Shand that he had asthma and heart problems, Ash said.But Detective Sergeant Rob DiDanieli testified he could find no indication of such problems in Shand's medical records and that his mother could not recall any such problems.The officer added that Shand had a history of abusing crack cocaine.As Shand struggled to get free, Ash told the jury, Rafuse held him down by the midsection. Gentile held his legs and had removed his shoes to keep from being kicked, while Moore had the man in a bear hug.At one point in the struggle, Shand complained that he couldn't breathe."Moore told him to calm down and he would loosen his hold," Ash said. "Shand did calm down and Moore released his hold. He maintained control of Shand by keeping his hands between his shoulder blades."Dr. Jim Cairns, Ontario's deputy chief coroner, testified that in cases of excited delirium — a life-threatening hyperactive condition that strikes cocaine or alcohol abusers, or schizophrenics off their medication — restraining them on their stomachs can lead to asphyxia."By putting them on their stomach and hog-tying them, you will increase the likelihood that that person will die," he said, adding often these people appear to have suddenly grown quiet just before they expire of exhaustion.The inquest continues today.

[N. A. Corbier]

Not only do we have the excited delerium claim, but we have the "policing should be left to the police" claim. In other words, "No cop present, I GET AWAY."

This is what that that claim has always boiled down to. "You should have to call a cop if I do something bad. By the time you do, I'm long gone and you can't stop me."

Since there are no laws relating to security - why is it that Canada is bitching there should be? Again, no difference between a security guard and a private citizen. If they want to impose rules against citizen's arrrests, then it should be across the board for all citizens. Including police officers who have to use citizen's arrest due to jurisdictional "issues," such as trying to make arrests outside their's.

[Eric]

Since there are no laws relating to security - why is it that Canada is bitching there should be? Again, no difference between a security guard and a private citizen. If they want to impose rules against citizen's arrrests, then it should be across the board for all citizens. Including police officers who have to use citizen's arrest due to jurisdictional "issues," such as trying to make arrests outside their's.

Just as in the States, some Lawyers will try anything to get the client off.

The revamp of the Ontario Private Investigator & Security Guard Act seems to me more politics and the wishes of Police brass, even though the above noted death was a catalyst. And in typical government fashion (also a dely due to Gov't change) bringing forth a base education for Security has hit a wall.

[HotelSecurity]

These new laws in Ontario & Quebec were brought in apparently because the governments want citizens to have more control over security guarding private places open to the public. (Hotels, shopping malls etc etc). I dn't see the need to pass special laws. If we screw up, we can be sued, we don't need special laws.

[LPGuy]

When you have asthma and heart problems, you're high, committing theft, and subsequently resisting arrest, if you get hurt and/or die along the way... you (or your family) shouldn't have any standing to complain or file a lawsuit.

The only one at any sort of fault in this situation is the idiot criminal.

[N. A. Corbier]

But, society wants to blame the security guard, or the police officer. Anyone who is authorized to use offensive force (in lieu of defensive force) against the general public.