I wasn't sure if I should blog this, because the only "facts" come from the YouTube Video that is making the news. This YouTube video shows a security guard choking a suspected shoplifter, who is deaf. I watched part of the video, and was horrified to see how red the man's face was becoming! I feared for the guy's life.
Update: Dianrez posted a blog post about this and referred to her personal experiences with being stopped by security guards. Her experiences essentially back up the title of this blog post - Shopping While Deaf - Dangerous?
In addition, someone posted a reply post to me on Twitter, saying " I work at walmart; those things can give false positives, also the tags dont always deactivate when you slide them on the pad."
Wow.. I saw this video and wonder why security were so ignored the deaf with C.Palsy. They do not know what is the heck with the deaf man tried to sign language. they are STUPIDEST! No one training the security suppose to figure out..
My husband say the deaf man should calm down and they will figure out.. somewhat the security seem untrained properly are going to be lawsuit because they do not training right away. Cluelss about deafness.
A few facts to point out about this from the perspective of a deaf person who has also been in Loss Prevention for 17 years:
1) This video doesn’t show the whole thing, so we do not know if he/they attempted to run from the store.
2) Irregardless of whether or not the people ran, after the loss prevention person had him subdued on the ground, the person’s repeated attempts to tap him to get his attention rather than trying to hit him should have been his first clue the person was not resisting. This loss prevention person went too far for too long. It was clearly over the line and excessive, in my opinion.
3) The gentleman seen keeping the one in the white shirt back was doing his job in trying to keep the loss prevention person from being hurt while busy with the suspected shoplifter on the ground. HOWEVER, the gentleman in the white shirt was making things worse by repeatedly attempting to intervene with the loss prevention person on the ground. He would have been better served to have tried to stop and deal with the guy who kept blocking him. He kept running around like a madman, which got the crowd involved, etc., and made the situation potentially more dangerous.
4) KTLA.com reports that stolen merchandise WAS found on the alleged shoplifter once they got him back to the store, and he was subsequently charged with robbery. To explain to those who do not understand, the robbery charge is standard in most states in which a physical altercation takes place. I suspect it will be amended to simple theft or what is commonly called “Theft By Unlawful Taking” or TBUT, once the video is reviewed.
5) This whole thing could have been avoided if the loss prevention personnel were better trained in how to deal with people with disabilities, AND if he was better trained in how to detain people suspected of shoplifting. The use of the choke hold is a dangerous manuever, so much so, that most all police departments no longer allow their officers to use it, and no reputable retail loss prevention department that I know of condones or allows the use of a choke hold for more than a couple of seconds to attempt to get control of someone who is strenously trying to resist being detained. This loss prevention person utilized the choke hold excessively long and with dangerous technique (such as when he had his weight on the back of the suspected shoplifter while pulling back on his neck).
Hope this helps clarify the situation for some people out there who may not understand how loss prevention works sometimes. I’ll be happy to answer any questions I can. And NO, I’m not employed by Forever 21.
I would say this is more of a situational thing. Shopping really isn’t a hazard to those who have a hearing impairment. Further, the video presents a very typical kind of scenario wherein decisions were not guided by any sort of judgment, leading to the confusion…cannot hold this as generalized thing.
Try googling for a news article, Jamie. The three local news articles Ive found on the issue say that the deaf man not in a chokehold was waving his receipt as proof of purchase but being ignored, maybe because he wasnt white. My understanding is they walked out of a store with those bag check fake security guys, who are PROHIBITED from laying hands on anyone. They were yelled at and then jumped from behind, meaning the deaf person being choked had no idea what was going on. It’s happened to me and could happen to any of us.
I know a person that works for loss prevention at forever 21. This man did not steal a thing. The agent involved herd the sensor towers n attempted to arrest the man. The deaf man did not know who was grabbing him and ran. I also work lp n I know that this is a result of bad training
Guide note: This is a person’s opinion, and may not be fact. News reports indicate there was indeed some theft involved.
My full understanding that GLAD, Greater Los Angels Associate for the Deaf is now step and helped two deaf man who have petty thief history. thats what article say that he did not thief. I am not understand why they say they have a receipt with them.
It seem distrub me about choke is not one best. I agree with Dianez in other blogs about situation in the past of years ago. it’s happened at Gallaudet The wife sued and lost the case.
http://dianrez.xanga.com/731537047/when-deaf-are-stopped-by-security-or-police/
This type of incedent happened to me after shopping at a local sporting goods store and they didn’t deactivate on of those plastic buttons. When I walked out to the parking lot I saw a guard running at me and my husband fast behind him. My husband was yelling “hey, she’s deaf. of course my husband caught me first and told me what it was about and I was livid as the guy almost grabbed me. I am a 56 year old woman and it scared me so I hate to shop alone and most of time shop online now.
I think that was a terrible situation. I am an ASL student and i am also taking classes in Human Services to advocate for things like this to not happen. I’m sure the man knew he was choking the life out of the guy. He kept tapping his arm and his friend also Deaf ,i heard him say “DEAF”, trying to tell the other guard that the man is DEAF. I hate to see stuff like this. I know i’m only one person, but this has to stop. Stores make mistakes, i’ve been stopped for beeping going off and i knew i hadn’t stolen a thing, the scanner did not disarm the tag. I hope that man SUES and WINS.
WTF!!!! Is that security guard freaking NUTS?????? He damn near KILLED someone for STEALING!!! Thank God he couldn’t pass the entrance test to the POLICE ACADEMY…and is only a security guard…I’d HATE to have HIM protecting me!!!!!!
This kind of stuff really makes my blood boil. But then again, I don’t know what started this in the first place. It’s a situation where we are only getting part of the fact. However, seeing the deaf man on the floor with his face so red, was a serious red flag, the men should have understood when the deaf man in the white shirt was trying to tell them he was deaf and look! Of course, only a small percentage would understand that from the hearing world. It’s sad that we really can’t common on the whole facts but I was totally upset seeing this. I also agree if the deaf man in the white shirt would have acted more calmly he may have gotten better result. We seems to act out our fustration when a hearing person isn’t understanding what we are trying to say.. WHEN we can’t speak. Sometimes our body language acts out stronger then words. Shopping really isn’t a hazard to those who have a hearing impairment. It could have very well been a hearing person! The video presents a very typical kind of scenario and it’s really hard to make the right judgment when we don’t know the whole fact. Still it’s upsetting to watch because we truly do understand how difficult it is trying to make a hearing person understand us when they don’t know our language.