Staff Tackles and Chokes Deaf Shopper suspected of Shoplifting
- Thread starter shel90
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but..... shouldn't Alejandro be trained first to not steal and run away from cop/security guard?
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I'm asking you.
yagazn
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(Sigh)
Well, I would say I'm disappointed in Alejandro because of his thief history.
and it is embrassing!. Imagine Hearie people would point and judge at Ddeaf people for being "Stealing" person....be like "Oh, that's how Ddeaf people steals stuff like that". UGH!.
Second, yeah I'm angry at how some hearie people treat Ddeaf people wrongly (Innocent or not).
Well, I would say I'm disappointed in Alejandro because of his thief history.
and it is embrassing!. Imagine Hearie people would point and judge at Ddeaf people for being "Stealing" person....be like "Oh, that's how Ddeaf people steals stuff like that". UGH!.
Second, yeah I'm angry at how some hearie people treat Ddeaf people wrongly (Innocent or not).
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I do understand that it is upsetting to watch. I've witnessed an upsetting arrest too in NYC (I posted it here before).
Police and Civilians.... it's a very sensitive and touchy relationship.
Miss-Delectable
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Forever 21 Speaks On Deaf Shoplifter Attack
Canyon News - Forever 21 Speaks On Deaf Shoplifter Attack
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.
Canyon News - Forever 21 Speaks On Deaf Shoplifter Attack
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.
The Highlander
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Video show that He signed "hard breath.. breath... breath.." So you can't fight back when you don't have enough breath.
If security guard don't choking him then why security guard got suspended?
PowerON
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why steal at there in first place? lmaooo
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but he did
because Forever 21 is a bunch of pansies and these people are bunch of pansies too. There are many other places in other states where the employees have pulled guns on robbers and they were hailed as heroes.
Evo Dragon
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my guess? they lose. why? because the prosecutor will push for maximum penalty.
Miss-Delectable
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Guard suspended for tackling deaf shoplifting suspect
Guard suspended for tackling deaf shoplifting suspect - CNN.com
An alarm sounded when Alejandro Rea walked out of a Hollywood Boulevard clothing store earlier this month, signaling that he may be leaving with merchandise he didn't pay for.
Rea is deaf, so he didn't hear the alarm or the shouts from a security guard ordering him to stop. The 28-year-old kept walking out of the Forever 21 until he was tackled and placed in a choke-hold by the guard.
It was a drama that played out in front of dozens of tourists gathered on Hollywood's Walk of Fame and near Grauman's Chinese Theatre.
Pablo Rea, also hearing-impaired as are other members of the family, said it was frustrating watching the guard wrestle his brother for several minutes.
"I can see my brother saying he couldn't communicate," Pablo Rea said Thursday, speaking through an interpreter. "It was like an immediate attack and my brother went limp and then he got in a choke-hold and became purple."
Rea's lawyer, John Henrichs, is threatening to sue the store for using excessive force and causing injuries to Rea, something Forever 21 acknowledged in a statement.
"We recognize that the security guard used excessive force, which is against our store policy and have suspended him indefinitely," the store said in a news release.
An advocacy group for the deaf wants the clothing store chain to train workers to be more sensitive to hearing-impaired customers.
"We're making sure that it won't happen again," said Patricia Hughes, CEO of the Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness (GLAD).
Video of the incident, shot by Joshua Fountain using his cell phone, has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times since it was uploaded to YouTube.
"His eyes were watery," Fountain, from Long Beach, California, said. "He was practically purplish, reddish, so he was suffering, and he was continuing tapping on the security guard's arm, telling him 'I've had enough, I am submitting.'"
Alejandro Rea has not seen the video, since he has been held in a Los Angeles jail since his August 7 arrest. His court date is August 24, and he hasn't been able to pay his $56,000 bond.
Instead of a misdemeanor shoplifting charge, he faces felony second-degree robbery. His alleged violent resistance to the security guard and his prior arrest record apparently played a role in the more serious charge, the lawyer said.
Rea was convicted twice before on misdemeanor petty theft charges, in 2002 and 2008, according to the Los Angeles District Attorney's office said.
Henrichs said it doesn't matter in the civil case if he was shoplifting, since it did not justify the brutal treatment by the guards.
"The security guard, the same one, when they took him back in the office, threw him against the wall twice and so he has injuries from that and he is entitled to be compensated for that," Henrichs said.
Forever 21 could avoid a lawsuit with a settlement, Henrichs said, that should include a donation to Patricia Hughes' organization.
"Maybe they can turn a negative into a positive with donation to GLAD for sensitivity training for security workers," he said.
Pablo Rea has simple advice for security guards.
"They should have tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention," Rea said.
Guard suspended for tackling deaf shoplifting suspect - CNN.com
An alarm sounded when Alejandro Rea walked out of a Hollywood Boulevard clothing store earlier this month, signaling that he may be leaving with merchandise he didn't pay for.
Rea is deaf, so he didn't hear the alarm or the shouts from a security guard ordering him to stop. The 28-year-old kept walking out of the Forever 21 until he was tackled and placed in a choke-hold by the guard.
It was a drama that played out in front of dozens of tourists gathered on Hollywood's Walk of Fame and near Grauman's Chinese Theatre.
Pablo Rea, also hearing-impaired as are other members of the family, said it was frustrating watching the guard wrestle his brother for several minutes.
"I can see my brother saying he couldn't communicate," Pablo Rea said Thursday, speaking through an interpreter. "It was like an immediate attack and my brother went limp and then he got in a choke-hold and became purple."
Rea's lawyer, John Henrichs, is threatening to sue the store for using excessive force and causing injuries to Rea, something Forever 21 acknowledged in a statement.
"We recognize that the security guard used excessive force, which is against our store policy and have suspended him indefinitely," the store said in a news release.
An advocacy group for the deaf wants the clothing store chain to train workers to be more sensitive to hearing-impaired customers.
"We're making sure that it won't happen again," said Patricia Hughes, CEO of the Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness (GLAD).
Video of the incident, shot by Joshua Fountain using his cell phone, has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times since it was uploaded to YouTube.
"His eyes were watery," Fountain, from Long Beach, California, said. "He was practically purplish, reddish, so he was suffering, and he was continuing tapping on the security guard's arm, telling him 'I've had enough, I am submitting.'"
Alejandro Rea has not seen the video, since he has been held in a Los Angeles jail since his August 7 arrest. His court date is August 24, and he hasn't been able to pay his $56,000 bond.
Instead of a misdemeanor shoplifting charge, he faces felony second-degree robbery. His alleged violent resistance to the security guard and his prior arrest record apparently played a role in the more serious charge, the lawyer said.
Rea was convicted twice before on misdemeanor petty theft charges, in 2002 and 2008, according to the Los Angeles District Attorney's office said.
Henrichs said it doesn't matter in the civil case if he was shoplifting, since it did not justify the brutal treatment by the guards.
"The security guard, the same one, when they took him back in the office, threw him against the wall twice and so he has injuries from that and he is entitled to be compensated for that," Henrichs said.
Forever 21 could avoid a lawsuit with a settlement, Henrichs said, that should include a donation to Patricia Hughes' organization.
"Maybe they can turn a negative into a positive with donation to GLAD for sensitivity training for security workers," he said.
Pablo Rea has simple advice for security guards.
"They should have tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention," Rea said.
Miss-Delectable
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Deaf brothers prepared to file law suit
Deaf brothers prepared to file law suit | abc7.com
It was a disturbing scene caught on tape, as store security officers subdued a deaf man while his deaf brother, Pablo Rea, struggled to get their attention. Pablo said Thursday he's ready to sue the store over what happened.
Pablo said he and his brother are very angry at the way they were treated by security at Forever 21 on Hollywood Boulevard, and the Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness said it is obvious that the security guard was ignorant on how to communicate with people who are hard of hearing.
In a video that has been seen by almost 600,000 people on YouTube, two security guards are seen, and one is on the ground holding Alejandro Rea in a chokehold.
Forever 21 said he was stopped for shoplifting and that he tried to leave the scene.
The person seen running around frantically in the video is Pablo, Alejandro's brother, who is also deaf. He said he was trying to communicate with the guards, but they didn't seem to be interested. Pablo said the guard continued to choke Alejandro to the point where he was turning blue.
"What I saw was an attack, and I didn't like it," Pablo said through an interpreter during a news conference. "There was no communication. I was shocked. I thought the security, they would know they would have a notepad or something, or maybe take them down and wait a few minutes to get an interpreter on site ... it just looked like they tackled him like an animal."
According to the L.A. District Attorney's Office, Alejandro has a history of petty theft. He pleaded guilty in a case back in 2002 and no contest for another incident in 2008. In the current case, he is being charged with one count of second-degree robbery and one count of petty theft with priors. He is currently still in jail.
"Does being a suspect of shoplifting give security the right to choke you? And the answer is no," said attorney John Henrichs.
"No because it's not fair, no because it's not right, no because it's against the law."
According to Forever 21, the security guard has been suspended indefinitely, saying his actions were against company policy.
Larry Meyere, an executive vice president of Forever 21, issues a statement Thursday.
"Forever 21 has turned video evidence over tot he LAPD showing the suspect, Mr. Alejandro Rea, shoplitfing," the statement said. "The Company does not condone shoplifting of any kind, regardless of who commits that crime. We want to work hand in hand with GLAD to provide our staff with appropriate training on interacting with the hearing impaired."
An attorney for the brothers has asked to meet with Forever 21 to try to settle this out of court, but if Forever 21 does not do that, the brothers say they are ready to file a lawsuit.
Deaf brothers prepared to file law suit | abc7.com
It was a disturbing scene caught on tape, as store security officers subdued a deaf man while his deaf brother, Pablo Rea, struggled to get their attention. Pablo said Thursday he's ready to sue the store over what happened.
Pablo said he and his brother are very angry at the way they were treated by security at Forever 21 on Hollywood Boulevard, and the Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness said it is obvious that the security guard was ignorant on how to communicate with people who are hard of hearing.
In a video that has been seen by almost 600,000 people on YouTube, two security guards are seen, and one is on the ground holding Alejandro Rea in a chokehold.
Forever 21 said he was stopped for shoplifting and that he tried to leave the scene.
The person seen running around frantically in the video is Pablo, Alejandro's brother, who is also deaf. He said he was trying to communicate with the guards, but they didn't seem to be interested. Pablo said the guard continued to choke Alejandro to the point where he was turning blue.
"What I saw was an attack, and I didn't like it," Pablo said through an interpreter during a news conference. "There was no communication. I was shocked. I thought the security, they would know they would have a notepad or something, or maybe take them down and wait a few minutes to get an interpreter on site ... it just looked like they tackled him like an animal."
According to the L.A. District Attorney's Office, Alejandro has a history of petty theft. He pleaded guilty in a case back in 2002 and no contest for another incident in 2008. In the current case, he is being charged with one count of second-degree robbery and one count of petty theft with priors. He is currently still in jail.
"Does being a suspect of shoplifting give security the right to choke you? And the answer is no," said attorney John Henrichs.
"No because it's not fair, no because it's not right, no because it's against the law."
According to Forever 21, the security guard has been suspended indefinitely, saying his actions were against company policy.
Larry Meyere, an executive vice president of Forever 21, issues a statement Thursday.
"Forever 21 has turned video evidence over tot he LAPD showing the suspect, Mr. Alejandro Rea, shoplitfing," the statement said. "The Company does not condone shoplifting of any kind, regardless of who commits that crime. We want to work hand in hand with GLAD to provide our staff with appropriate training on interacting with the hearing impaired."
An attorney for the brothers has asked to meet with Forever 21 to try to settle this out of court, but if Forever 21 does not do that, the brothers say they are ready to file a lawsuit.
Steinhauer
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That security guard was waaaaaay out of line. However, I feel hard pressed to have any sympathy for a thief that got caught.
Even harder to have any sympathy for a repeat offender.
You know what they do in Saudi Arabia when they catch a thief that is a repeat offender?
He should consider himself very lucky.
http://in.news.yahoo.com/43/20100815/896/twl-thief-s-hand-amputated-in-saudi-arab_1.html
Even harder to have any sympathy for a repeat offender.
You know what they do in Saudi Arabia when they catch a thief that is a repeat offender?
He should consider himself very lucky.
http://in.news.yahoo.com/43/20100815/896/twl-thief-s-hand-amputated-in-saudi-arab_1.html
rockin'robin
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Seems to me if the deaf guy would have been more cooperative, this would have not escalated as it has....at first, I was outraged by it all, but after seeing the videos and reading the news, I understand more.
In one video, it showed the deaf guy actually "kicking" the guard away...He's a repeat offender....so he should serve time!
In one video, it showed the deaf guy actually "kicking" the guard away...He's a repeat offender....so he should serve time!
