Darius Martin, a resident of Ottawa has filed a complaint with the Ottawa Police after he reported he
was assaulted by security guards at the St-Laurent Shopping Centre here in Ottawa.
Darius Martin believes racial profiling played a role in the decision to
arrest and detain him.
Martin says he and a friend were at St-Laurent Centre yesterday visiting Martin's girlfriend when he says two guards complained that his friend's pants were too low. One thing led to the other and before you know it, thins went out of hand.
“One of the security guards kept provoking and antagonizing the situation.” The two were told they were banned from the mall and escorted outside where he claims he was assaulted.
“One (security) officer hit me on the side of my face, two (security) officers lifted my hand and two others pinned me down to the floor,” recalls Martin.
He says he was handcuffed and detained for nearly 3 hours, then fined $65 by the Ottawa Police and given a 5 year ban of the mall.
“This is when they pushed me done to the floor,” says Martin, as he shows CTV
“I really want the public to be aware this is happening still and this has got to stop.”
The general manager of the shopping mall Mary Alkerton says the mall would "welcome a police investigation because we think it is important for our visitors and the community to gain a full understanding of what has been described as an intense confrontation. In the event that we are contacted by police, we will of course offer them our full cooperation, in addition to access to any evidence we might have such as records, reports and/or video recordings, all of which are part of our security system" Shanice George, who works at the mall and knows Darius Martin, saw the whole thing.
"To me it seems like it was racial profiling,” says George, “just because they weren't doing anything.”
Security guards in Ontario have the power to ask a person to leave or ban them from private property. They can also arrest someone for certain offenses and detain or search them. They aren't allowed to use unnecessary force.
Martin's aunt, who manages the Christian band for which Martin plays the drums, asked the security office to explain what the boys did but says she got no answers.
"I think it's crazy,” says Melissa Laguerre outside the Ottawa Police Station on Elgin Street, “At the end of the day the surveillance video will pick up what happened. The security guards had no right to detain him as they did.”
Culled from CTV News
Martin says he and a friend were at St-Laurent Centre yesterday visiting Martin's girlfriend when he says two guards complained that his friend's pants were too low. One thing led to the other and before you know it, thins went out of hand.
“One of the security guards kept provoking and antagonizing the situation.” The two were told they were banned from the mall and escorted outside where he claims he was assaulted.
“One (security) officer hit me on the side of my face, two (security) officers lifted my hand and two others pinned me down to the floor,” recalls Martin.
He says he was handcuffed and detained for nearly 3 hours, then fined $65 by the Ottawa Police and given a 5 year ban of the mall.
“This is when they pushed me done to the floor,” says Martin, as he shows CTV
“I really want the public to be aware this is happening still and this has got to stop.”
The general manager of the shopping mall Mary Alkerton says the mall would "welcome a police investigation because we think it is important for our visitors and the community to gain a full understanding of what has been described as an intense confrontation. In the event that we are contacted by police, we will of course offer them our full cooperation, in addition to access to any evidence we might have such as records, reports and/or video recordings, all of which are part of our security system" Shanice George, who works at the mall and knows Darius Martin, saw the whole thing.
"To me it seems like it was racial profiling,” says George, “just because they weren't doing anything.”
Security guards in Ontario have the power to ask a person to leave or ban them from private property. They can also arrest someone for certain offenses and detain or search them. They aren't allowed to use unnecessary force.
Martin's aunt, who manages the Christian band for which Martin plays the drums, asked the security office to explain what the boys did but says she got no answers.
"I think it's crazy,” says Melissa Laguerre outside the Ottawa Police Station on Elgin Street, “At the end of the day the surveillance video will pick up what happened. The security guards had no right to detain him as they did.”
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