Mall Security Guards Involved in Fatal Detention and Earlier Fight

On January 21, at a shopping and entertainment complex on Kolomyazhsky Prospekt in St. Petersburg, security guards detained 24-year-old Dmitry on suspicion of not paying for goods. The young man pulled out an aerosol pistol and fired a shot, after which he was knocked to the floor. Two security officers piled on top, applying chokeholds. Dmitry screamed that he couldn«t breathe and lost consciousness. He was taken to the hospital, but medics could not save his life. A forensic medical examination established the cause of death as mechanical asphyxia.

The investigation believes that the security guards unjustifiably detained the young man, and their actions led to the fatal outcome. One of the suspects managed to fly to Uzbekistan, while two others have been charged with murder. The court will consider a request for their arrest.

Earlier, in mid-January, another scuffle involving security occurred at the same complex. Video of the incident, dated January 23, shows a guard who resembles one of the individuals involved in Dmitry«s death case. He confronted two visitors; the reason for the conflict was off-camera, but the men»s behavior was aggressive.

One of them tried to manually open the automatic doors, and then broke the glass by rushing at it with a run-up. Meanwhile, the guard knocked the second visitor down, pinned him to the floor, and delivered several blows. The first violator returned to help his comrade but also ended up on the ground. The guard held him down, sitting on top, until law enforcement arrived.

These cases indicate that the method of physical suppression with floor restraint was used by the complex«s security on multiple occasions. However, its application in Dmitry»s situation led to tragic consequences, which are now under investigation.