News Video, Hollywood Hell: Mall Cops Caught on Video in Deaf Shopper Attack. (Los Angeles: crime)

[JD59]

Store security for Forever 21 at the Hollywood/Highland shopping center tackled and applied a crude choke-hold to a deaf shopper who was apparently unaware that the store's alarm had gone off as he exited the store.

Breitbart.tv » Hollywood Hell: Mall Cops Caught on Video in Deaf Shopper Attack

[Icy Tea]

Its hard to judge without knowing the facts. If they were shoplifting, they deserved whatever beating they got and the security guys should get a day off with pay and maybe a party with cake. If it was a mistake, fire them and charge them with assault.
I noticed that many people in LA are fat. That destroys the myth of Californians being good looking and fit.

[subsound]

It's illegal for private security to assault people, if they did something or not. Time will tell on guilt. It's going to be a big lawsuit for them.

It is especially damming that he's not trying to get away, he's trying to breathe as his friends try and help him.

[Mr.Bungle]

I used to work in Loss Prevention at a retail store. We had some really strict guidelines to follow for apprehending a shoplifter. We were not allowed to chase them, touch them, tackle them, etc... HUGE liability. Needless to say, we focused mostly on internal loss. I caught 2 shoplifters in 2 years of working there. My manager really didn't like going after them unless we had a visual of them entering the department, concealing the merchandise, walking past all cash registers, and then stepping outside. Once they were outside, we had to ask them to come back into the store. If they refused and took off, we just go back inside and fill out a report and did NOT chase them.

Now, I understand being a "drunk with power" security guard at Hollywood & Highland. You get a ton of tourists and crazies, and crack heads. But still, a $20 shirt isn't worth what is going to happen to them. Regardless if the guy stole or not, you don't do that if you're not the police. And even the police wouldn't choke the guy out for that long. I'd give them enough credit to recognize a hearing impairment.

[Fontucky]

Didn't LAPD abandon the choke hold years ago?

[Fontucky]

Originally Posted by Icy Tea

I noticed that many people in LA are fat.

Especially the tourists from flyover country that throng Hollywood and Highland.

[californio sur]

That was sad to see and a huge mistake for the store who will likely be sued big time. The security guards could face civil prosecution and rightly so.

[HarryKerry]

Originally Posted by Mr.Bungle

I used to work in Loss Prevention at a retail store. We had some really strict guidelines to follow for apprehending a shoplifter. We were not allowed to chase them, touch them, tackle them, etc... HUGE liability. Needless to say, we focused mostly on internal loss. I caught 2 shoplifters in 2 years of working there. My manager really didn't like going after them unless we had a visual of them entering the department, concealing the merchandise, walking past all cash registers, and then stepping outside. Once they were outside, we had to ask them to come back into the store. If they refused and took off, we just go back inside and fill out a report and did NOT chase them.

Now, I understand being a "drunk with power" security guard at Hollywood & Highland. You get a ton of tourists and crazies, and crack heads. But still, a $20 shirt isn't worth what is going to happen to them. Regardless if the guy stole or not, you don't do that if you're not the police. And even the police wouldn't choke the guy out for that long. I'd give them enough credit to recognize a hearing impairment.

Quite correct. I had a friend who worked at Target as security on his path to law enforcement that later turned into his enlisting in the Army, and he said Target strictly forbade any security from chasing or otherwise encountering suspected or even 100% sure shoplifters outside the interior of the store because of liability.

I'm surprised the store in question didn't have similar policy regarding confrontations outside the store as this is a know liability problem. The security guards were employed by the store, NOT the Hollywood & Highland retail center. However, now there is a chance even H&H could be found liable, even if there were agreements to indemnify H&H. This is a no-brainer: if one owns a shopping center like the H&H with heavy urban tourist traffic, no retailer in his right mine and checking with his lawyer would allow a store to employ its own security personnel because the probability of something going wrong with any number of the cooks on Hollywood Blvd. is too great and presents a risk of liability to the shopping center.

It has now been reported that the LAPD confirms that one of the deaf persons does, indeed, have a criminal record that includes theft. What is sad is that if either of the 2 deaf gentlemen did, indeed, shoplift, they are now virtually guaranteed a big settlement from the store: crooks getting rich by hitting the stupid security jackpot, if they did shoplift.

Personally, I do think that NO security guard ought to use such choke-holds as they likely don't know what they are doing. We have no way of knowing that they are skilled in such holds. Also, being LA, the security guards could have easily been shot dead by shoplifters.

Of course I sympathize with what the store's are dealing with, particularly in Los Angeles where shoplifting is low priority. Heck even the crackdown on the Hollywood Blvd. costumed folks who pressured or even threatened tourists into giving them money for posing for pictures was a low priority for a long time and had to get really bad for the LAPD to, finally, do something. And Chief Charlie Backs words of support and encouragement to those concerned with personal safety on the Blvd.: "We will continue to address the issue as long as we have the resources." In other words: "If we're not too busy, we might get around to doing our job and show up on the Blvd. and arrest people for what amounts to a form of mugging. Otherwise, you're on your own."

To be fair, the former Chief, Bill Bratton, had pretty much the same attitude regarding crime in Hollywood saying, "I just don't have those big problems in Hollywood." Meaning that unless there were to be gang killings and shootings or murders, Hollywood was doing just fine with its muggings, assaults, shake-downs of tourists, physical threats towards citizens and tourists from the homeless and mental ill and, apparently, shoplifting. This really is the LAPD's fault. There ought to be a visible and constant presence near the H&H with the subway next door and all the loons who like to lurk and and hide out there. The mounted unit and some cops on foot as this is a choice ground for picking meat of the tourists. It makes sense.