APTN News

Loblaw, the parent company of Shoppers Drug Mart says an incident involving a security guard and a teen at a store in Thunder Bay is “absolutely unacceptable.”In a video that was widely circulated on social media shows a security guard trying to restrain the youth.At one point, the guard lifts the teen in the air and slams him to the floor of the store.The guard then handcuffs the teen.

The original video was taken off social media. This is a digital copy obtained by APTN NewsIn an email statement, Loblaw Public Relations says they are “deeply concerned by what happened.”The statement says “Shoppers Drug Mart has a no-touch policy, which means pharmacy owners, their store employees and their security partners are not allowed to physically engage with anyone in our stores.”APTN News has spoken with a friend of the family who says they are in Thunder Bay from Kingfisher Lake First Nation, a fly in community in northern Ontario for medical purposes.In a series of Facebook messages, the friend of the family says the teen is “traumatized” from the incident and “still in pain.”Thunder Bay Police say officers were called to the Shoppers Drug Mart on Memorial Avenue around 6:30 p.m. on Sunday for “a report of a theft.”Police will only say that “investigators are aware of a video circulating social media believed to be connected with this call and are investigating the entirety of the incident.”The investigation was continuing today with witness interviews.In its statement, Loblaws says “this use of force and handcuffs is a clear violation of that policy. Working with our pharmacy owner we have been in contact with the third-party security provider and have recommended disciplinary action – including restricting the security guard from working at any of our stores.“We sincerely apologize to the family for what happened. It does not reflect our company’s values or customers’ expectations.”

Dennis Ward Host/Producer - Winnipeg Dennis is Metis from southern Manitoba. After spending a decade working in TV in Alberta and Ontario, Dennis returned to Manitoba to join APTN’s Winnipeg bureau as reporter/correspondent in September 2014. In 2016, he won a Canadian Association of Journalists award for his story A Soldier Scorned for APTN Investigates. In 2017, he became a host/producer for APTN National News and Face to Face. In 2020, Dennis and co host Melissa Ridgen were nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for Best News Anchor, National.

Report an Error Tell us your Story

Your Name * Your Email Address * Details * Submit Report