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Security guard at downtown Primark charged with stomping 11-year-old shoplifter

A Suffolk County grand jury yesterday indicted a security guard at the Downtown Crossing Primark store - and the security company he worked for - on charges of assault and battery on a child under 14 and for violating the victim's civil rights for an incident on June 9 in which he allegedly attacked a girl who tried shoplifting.

According to the Suffolk County District Attorney's office, Mohammad Khan, 36, of Cambridge, grabbed an 11-year-old girl after she tried to walk out of the store with about $175 worth of clothing, pulled her back into the store and pushed her into a corner out of the range of store surveillance cameras and began to beat her - and kept beating her even as fellow security guards from Securitas Security Services and shoppers tried to get him to stop:

Over the course of more than seven minutes, Khan, who is 6’ 1’’ and 225 pounds, grabbed the girl by the head and neck and threw her to the ground, punched her in the face while straddling her as she was on the ground, and even after being separated from her by Boston Police, re-engaged in struggling with her. All of this was done even though Khan was under explicit orders not to touch any customer, including suspected shoplifters. In addition, his Securitas co-workers and passersby urged him to stop.

The DA's office says that Khan, a special police officer, which means he has arrest powers, had been reprimanded at least four times previously for "using more force than permitted by Securitas and for violating protocol."

Under state law, the girl was too young to be charged with shoplifting.

This is at least the second recent alleged crime for which a corporation faces criminal charges, the DA's office reports, pointing to the recent conviction of a Roslindale drain company for the drowning deaths of two workers in a South End trench:

Under state law, to prove corporate liability the Commonwealth must show that an individual committed a criminal offense, that the individual who committed the offense was involved in a corporate business, and that the individual was vested with authority to act for the corporation with respect to that business. District Attorney Rachael Rollins’ Office believes those thresholds have been met and exceeded in this instance.

Arraignment for the alleged attack has been set for Dec. 17.

Innocent, etc.

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Comments

If police officers from a city or town are indicted for brutality the cities and towns are exempt from being liable. A Transit or Amtrak cop work for corporations so logic would dictate that MBTA or AMTRAK could face charges if their officers commit brutal acts.

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According to the Boston Globe article, the guard had been reprimanded on at least four prior occasions for using more force than allowed by Securitas and for violating protocol. WTH was Securitas thinking - the guy was a law suit waiting to happen.

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Actually, it looks like the guy was a criminal charge waiting to happen. The corporation itself is being charged criminally.

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Just wait for the family of the girl to sue the company for medical bills, trauma (because being physically attacked by someone several times your size is PTSD-inducing), etc. because keeping someone with multiple previous uses of excessive fault is willful negligence.

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There is a coward born every second.

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King khan

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as a Special Police Officer. I witnessed obnoxious behavior by a guard at the Roach Bros supermarket under-neath Primark.

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Hires 6 ft tall guards who can't restrain an 11 year old girl. Shame on securitas and I hope the mental and physical abuse suffered by this child will get better. Thanks Boston

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the security guard is trying to restrain her not beat her as she's flailing wildly.

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If I were an 11-year old girl and a grown man was pinning me to the ground, you can bet I'd be flailing wildly, too.

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"According to the Suffolk County District Attorney's office, Mohammad Khan, 36, of Cambridge, grabbed an 11-year-old girl after she tried to walk out of the store with about $175 worth of clothing, pulled her back into the store and pushed her into a corner out of the range of store surveillance cameras and began to beat her - and kept beating her even as fellow security guards from Securitas Security Services and shoppers tried to get him to stop:

Over the course of more than seven minutes, Khan, who is 6’ 1’’ and 225 pounds, grabbed the girl by the head and neck and threw her to the ground, punched her in the face while straddling her as she was on the ground, and even after being separated from her by Boston Police, re-engaged in struggling with her. All of this was done even though Khan was under explicit orders not to touch any customer, including suspected shoplifters. In addition, his Securitas co-workers and passersby urged him to stop."

Now, do you understand why she was fighting? A grown man first beat her and then threw her to the ground and punched her in the face while straddling her as she was on the ground. What part do you have a difficult time understanding, anon?

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Might explain the otherwise-surprising leniency allegedly shown by the company.

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The incessant whining of your grinding ax has made you deaf to common sense.

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Smfh,

Sure just blame everything on the union women and men.

Most union workers are hard-working people Boston. Most work in some capacity of servitude.

And I'm sure in some capacity if it wasn't for union-related activity you wouldn't be able to make your comment.
Just jump on the union person not Adminstration.

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let's keep it that way.

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and stopped, but their was no excuse for the "special" cop in question to physically abuse the girl in that manner. I can understand retaining the girl who shoplifted while the owner of the store and the cop contacted the girl's parents to tell them to come get their daughter, but what the cop did by beating the girl was way over the line--and unacceptable.

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Is that what you think?

Interesting!

Never mind that he was told repeatedly that he was not to touch anyone for any reason - including "retaining" them.

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An adult man beating an 11 year old girl... what the actual f*ck.

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A BPD officer?
;)

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