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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.