Video: Security Guard Attacks Deaf Man Who Couldn't Hear Theft Alarms Go Off

• ddie Runyon, you wrote a interesting comment. I keep wondering what about Malls around South Florida such Aventura Mall, Dolphin Mall and beyond where many deaf shoppers go. Does Loss Prevention or Asset Protection program have video or text to show all staffs in training classes how to approach to deaf shoppers if something goes wrong?

• "Alex Rea did not hear the alarm go off as he left the store and was then tackled. He yelped and tapped at the security guard trying to signal that he is deaf. Bystanders yelled at the guard alerting him that Rea was turning purple and that his eyes were bulging out. A friend that was shopping with Rea, believed to be his brother Pablo, was trying to catch the security guard's attention as well to let him know that they were deaf. He attempted to show another staff member receipts for their purchases. Since then, Rea was charged with robbery and assault. Police say that there were items within the bags that were not purchased. Rea's bail was set at $55,000."

• i though this type of stuff happens in africa all the time, oh wait this is west hollywood, lol, my bad, doesn't look like it... it's sad, but they did prove the guy was stealing, of course that gorilla also acted very wrong, hope someone tackles him like a toy and makes him bag for air... pos...

• Unless there's some other video with more footage showing more force being applied, honestly, the force doesn't seem out of order. When shoplifters start acting like they hear you the moment you say something to them, then it'll be easier for whoever is after you to think sooner "I wonder if the guy is deaf or he would be responding to my words."

• @HyenaKiller - If you read the article and what was said by the guy who posted the Youtube video (who happened to be there and watched the entire thing go down) you'll have read that he actually was NOT resisting and in fact he never heard the sirens go off in the store when he walked through. The guards (who by the way are NOT allowed to touch anyone) tackled him when he continued to walk through the doorway. People with disabilities, myself included, sometimes need "special" treatment different to other "normal" people. For me, I have some learning disabilities that placed me into special math classes for most of my life. The assistance gained by the extra help in that class allowed me to actually graduate school like a "normal" individual. I am not stupid or anything, I just have a disability that makes it harder for me to learn and thus I need more help than "regular" people. You may not think he needs "special" treatment, but in fact, he does because if you don't know sign language and he can't speak or read lips, than there is a big halt in communication. Instead of trying to understand the situation, the guards literally tackled him. Smart move.

• HyenaKiller once again shows his insensitive side... yes they deserve to be treated like anyone else, but with the knowledge they can't fucking hear!! The guy was NOT resisting, until the idiot guard would simply not let go of him! Wow, you really are grade 1 douche bag! No wonder you have such a twisted view of politics, the world, and your own IQ. :)

• Dude was shoplifting. I don't think the force was excessive. He was clearly trying to get away and fighting the guy. He knew he did wrong, and he was trying to use his disability to get away with it. My wife is taking ASL classes and we go on these functions with her class where they have meet ups with deaf people. Hell, I am practically deaf thanks to Metallica... They are normal people that just can't hear and deserve to be treated just like everyone else.

• I'd sue!!

• @Sigh - Completely understand, and though I had written up an entire portion on that in my reply to Chongo, I decided to leave it out at last minute, basically so that I would not start something. But the honest truth is, that because the guy, Anthony Kyser, is black, people seemed to care less. The reality of the situation however is, yeah, he /was/ stealing but he shouldn't have died for it. What happened to him was wrong as hell and the saddest part is, the guy who choked him out will have no legal repercussions; at least by the state. Perhaps Anthony Kyser's family will sue, but even then its hard to say if there will be any sort of "justice" for him. Black or white, yellow or red, and uhm... recently they've discovered BLUE, it doesn't matter what you are, you shouldn't be in a choke hold over a pair of cheap clothes or a tube of toothpaste, and you definitely shouldn't die over it! Just my two cents.

• "If you go back and look at comments from places like Digg and what have you, the tone is much different and NOT as much on the side of the person who died. I wonder if there isn't a more obvious reason?" Chongo, of course there is a more obvious reason as Bttmstr shows an example in his post and the fact that no other commenters have commented on Bttmstr's offensive post. The obvious reason is that the person who stole from CVS and died is black, this person who was choked at Forever 21 is white and deaf. Funny how people will combat your post and others on other points (and will soon combat my post), but they make no comment about those commenters who make racist remarks like Bttmstr who finds choking to death acceptable only if it is done to "brothas"; translation black men. Obvious reasons much.

• @ Anonymous (IF that is your real name...) : I was commenting on how everyone was saying he didn't steal anything... I believe that no one deserves that kind of choke out EVER and the security guard should be canned. In the end, the facts are that he WAS stealing something, thereby my comment was about how people were saying he was completely innocent.

• having worked retail and as a "guard", the first thing we are told is to NOT touch the person who is stealing something. We were supposed to alert the police and let them handle it.

• Quote: "Its funny the reaction the entire blogosphere had to this though... everyone was screaming bloody murder about this guy not stealing anything and having a receipt. Turns out, he was stealing a couple things." So what if the deaf dude was stealing stuff? The security guards still overreacted. All of that over shoplifting? Ridiculous. If the deaf dude had committed a much more serious crime, e.g. assault, rape, murder, then okay, I can see the security guards using excessive force. But all of that was over some cheap Forever 21 crap.

• This video made me sick and to be honest it doesn't even matter if the guy was shoplifting in my opinion. He wasn't resisting. Security guards d-bags on power trips have no purpose in this world. They aren't cops and on top of that he went above and beyond what any trained officer of the law would do. Cops aren't above the law and cheesy mall security are most certainly not either. I don't think the guy should sue the store(if he really did shoplift), but he definitely has a case against that asshat guard.

• man, there are many other ways to restrain someone and a damn chokehold IS NOT ONE OF THEM unless you plan to kill the person from the very beginning of the incident. That was just plain red. And that fat gorilla should never be rehired in any public place again, he might be better off applying for work as a prison guard though, choking to death his own "brothas".

• @Chongo - I kind of believe that the guy holding up the receipt, the brother, had no idea that his brother had stolen anything which is where the receipt comes into play. He really seemed to genuinely not have any clue as to what the heck was going on. He (Alejandro) definitely deserves to be punished for his actions, so I'm glad they at least figured out what was going on there. He obviously has a history of shoplifting as well, but to full out tackle this guy and then choke him, damn near to death, is uh... excessive to say the least. As far as the CVS guy goes, I had forgotten the date, it feels like just yesterday. Regardless of the publics agreement or disagreement in the matter, I still feel it is a wrongful death. Should he have been punished? Hell yes. Should he have died for it? No. It's toothpaste, come on now. @Pete - No problem! :)

• Thanks for providing the update on that, Alice.

• @ Alice Kaye : Thanks for the update. I had been following this as well and agree that it was handled very bad. Even from a liability standpoint it was just plain old stupid of that guard to do that. Its funny the reaction the entire blogosphere had to this though... everyone was screaming bloody murder about this guy not stealing anything and having a receipt. Turns out, he was stealing a couple things. I was definitely one of those people who was upset and called for lighting the torches and grabbing the pitchforks... man the mob mentality can really suck you in sometimes! FWIW, the CVS thing happened in march or may or somewhere around there. If you go back and look at comments from places like Digg and what have you, the tone is much different and NOT as much on the side of the person who died. I wonder if there isn't a more obvious reason?

• Pete, I have an update I found by Forever 21. They issued a statement: "On Friday, August 13, Forever 21 issued a statement in response to an incident, which occurred at their Hollywood location last week. On August 7, in an attempt to stop a suspected shoplifter, a security guard from the retailer tackled the man outside of the store. One onlooker caught the violent interaction on video and posted the footage on YouTube. The security guard attempted to apprehend the man, Alejandro Rea, outside the shop after he set off the store's alarm. After Rea was unresponsive to the alarm, and the guard's attempts to draw his attention, the guard took Rea down by force. The video shows the guard tackling Rea and choking him. During the brawl, another man who claimed to be Rea's brother, attempted to explain that he and Rea were deaf; thus, unable to hear the alarm. However, the security guard continued to hold Rea in a headlock. In the statement, representatives from Forever 21 stated, "We recognize that the security guard used excessive force, which is against our store policy and have suspended him indefinitely." The security guard was suspended for his actions, and Rea was arrested. Though at the time of the incident, Rea's brother tried to explain that they had a receipt, unpaid merchandise from the shop was found in Rea's personal bag. The Los Angeles Police department stated that Rea had a history of petty theft. Rea has been charged with shoplifting and robbery; he posted bail on Monday, August 9." Origin of Article: http://www.canyon-news.com/artman2/publish/westhollywood/Forever_21_Speaks_On_Deaf_Shoplifter_Attack.php Turns out he /was/ shoplifting, but the way the whole thing was handled was absolutely absurd & the store agrees which resulted in the indefinite suspension of the guard on the ground. Regardless of whether the man Alejandro was innocent or not, that was excessive to the max and I think he definitely still has grounds to sue the guard / store. Though whether he gets anything out of it or not would be a whole different story (due to the shop lifting). Same thing happened a few days before this incident with the deaf guys, over at a CVS in Chicago. However, it resulted in the death of the guy as well. All over some stolen toothpaste. Sure he was doing wrong, but did he really deserve death for it? http://www.eurweb.com/?p=23228 Strange world we live in.

• I made it 34 seconds and I can't watch anymore. (Call me a sensitive Sally if ya want.) What kind of dumbass wouldn't realize he is deaf by the sounds he is making and then put it together that he did not hear the alarm and therefor did not know what the hell was going on (why he was being restrained). This is just terrible and I hope that the right repercussions are taken.

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