Canadian Tire security guard charged with assaulting a customer in Regina

A security guard working at Canadian Tire has been charged with assault following an altercation with a customer.

Regina police confirmed they were called to the 600 block of Albert Street on Tuesday evening. Officers charged a 20-year-old man with assault as a result of the investigation.

Ezekial Bigknife, 24, said he was the customer involved in the situation. He filmed the incident on his phone.

“I spent good money in that shop to get assaulted and to get followed around like I’m stealing,” said Bigknife, who suffered bruises to the face, neck and hand during the assault.

Cell phone video shows three employees, including the security guard, forcing Bigknife out of the store. At that point, his phone falls to the ground and yelling can be heard.

Bigknife claims the incident stemmed from two loss prevention employees following him around the store while he was shopping for truck parts.

“It’s just racial profiling, that’s all it is,” he said. “I’m through feeling uncomfortable. I shouldn’t have to.

Bigknife, who is Indigenous, believes he was being followed due to the colour of his skin.

He said he confronted the employees before leaving the store. He came back shortly after to return some of the parts that he purchased. Bigknife said that’s when some words were exchanged and when he went to film the security guard on his phone, he was forced out.

A spokesperson for Canadian Tire said the company is aware of the altercation. They said the security guard was hired through a third party agency, and after reviewing the incident, that security guard will not return to the store.

“We take this matter seriously and stores have strict protocols and training programs in place with third-party representatives to ensure clear understandings of expectations on how to conduct business and treat customers with respect,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

Fernanda Horse, the health and wellness programs manager at Newo Yotina Friendship Centre, said protocols don’t always prevent stores from discriminating against Indigenous customers.

“The minute they see you, they start following you around, watching every move you make,” she said, adding that she and her son often fall victim to racial profiling.

“It doesn’t feel good as an individual just based on the color of your skin, you’re being judged.”

Horse said racial profiling is a result of systemic racism and it is a common occurrence in many stores.

She said she often chooses to ignore it when it happens, but she believes cultural sensitivity training for all employees could help fix the problem.

As for Bigknife, he plans to seek legal advice and is considering filing a human rights complaint. He hopes his case can help reform loss prevention policies.

None of these allegations have been proven in court. The accused is set to make his first court appearance in July.