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A video showing a security guard attempting to handcuff a woman and wrestle her to the ground outside a Saskatoon grocery store Wednesday is drawing the ire of the store’s owner.
A roughly nine-minute video shared on Facebook shows the man trying to arrest an Indigenous woman outside the FreshCo grocery store on 33rd Street and Avenue C North. He repeatedly tries to handcuff the woman who is heard screaming and asking multiple times why she is being arrested.
At one point, the security guard jumps on top of the woman as she tries to get into her vehicle after punching the security guard in the face.
WARNING: This video contains graphic language
*trigger warning* video shows violence and assault towards a woman, distressing video & audio.⚠️ EDIT ⚠️ I spoke to the woman who was assaulted in this video. I do not give permission to any media source to use this video. I have forwarded her information to FSIN and they are in contact with her. I don’t think I’ll leave this up, idk, I feel bad for her. I can tell you he assaulted her long before she threw that punch. Dude was outta pocket for this. I think I’ll go back to freshco tmrw and demand he be fired.
Posted by Jade Acikahte on Wednesday, April 14, 2021
In a statement posted to the store’s Facebook page, owner Chris Fowler said he is “shocked and horrified.”
“I wanted to address the situation yesterday. First of all I’m beyond shocked and horrified. As Metis owner and a father of two daughters, this should of not happened ever. I have ended my contract with the individual who was filmed as we use a third party LP company,” the statement read.
I wanted to address the situation yesterday. First of all I’m beyond shocked and horrified. As Métis owner and a father…
Posted by FreshCo 33rd & Avenue C Saskatoon on Thursday, April 15, 2021
During the altercation, people standing by are heard shouting at the man to identify himself and asking him if he has any right to detain her.
Both the security guard and the woman are heard asking bystanders to help them.
The 33rd Street FreshCo, pictured on April 15, 2021. (Brady Lang/650 CKOM)
Saskatoon police confirmed officers responded to the incident at roughly 4 p.m. When officers arrived, they found a “loss prevention officer” detaining a 30-year-old woman.
The security guard suffered “minor injuries” during the altercation. The woman refused any medical attention and was charged with theft under $5,000 and assault.
The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations responded to the video in an emailed statement Thursday morning demanding the security guard be charged as well.
“First Nations women are disproportionately targeted and victimized. This sad excuse of a man clearly assaulted her and needs to be held accountable for his disgusting actions. We expect his immediate termination and charges to be laid against him by police today” FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron said in the release.
“This is an unlawful arrest and his actions are beyond disturbing. He had no lawful reason to detain her or the authority to use any force. We demand accountability.”