A Metro Vancouver senior is suing Real Canadian Superstore after an employee accused him of shoplifting and then roughed him up in a back room – a startling incident that was caught on a store surveillance camera.
The video, which has been obtained exclusively by CTV News, shows Burnaby resident Roy Kerwood being slammed into two walls and then apparently choked by a loss-prevention officer in a small, windowless room at the Grandview Highway Superstore on Feb. 26.
"He pushed me backwards into a wall with such force that it shook the whole wall. And it really hurt. And then he had his arm across my throat, he was choking me, and I was all the time trying to get him off," said Kerwood, who was 66 years old at the time of the incident.
"For a brief moment, I thought: I'm going to die in a Loblaws store? For an alleged theft that never happened?"
According to the senior's civil claim, he ended up in the back room as the result of a simple misunderstanding. Kerwood said he stopped by the East Vancouver store that day to pick up milk, cookies, a prescription for heart medication and some razor blades.
Kerwood paid for the snacks and the prescription in two separate transactions, his lawsuit states, but he then picked up the razor blades and walked outside without buying them – something he insists was purely accidental.
"I put them in my bag with the intention of going to the self-pay and paying for them, and on my way toward the self-pay I got distracted," he said. "Very embarrassing. I have a senior's mind. Used to be perfect, but in the last four or five years it's gotten spotty."
While he was heading for the parking lot, a loss-prevention officer ran up behind him, grabbed him by the arm and told him he was under arrest, according to the claim.
Kerwood said he tried to explain that it was an accident and offered to pay for the razor blades, but the employee wasn't interested. Instead, he allegedly locked the senior in a room and left. The confrontation ensued after the employee came back.
During the tussle, Kerwood said the loss-prevention officer “grabbed me and punched me in the side of the head and nearly knocked me over.” He then allegedly kneed the senior in the chest and walked out.
Hours later, according to the lawsuit, a police officer arrived and took Kerwood into custody. To the senior's shock, he was charged with theft and assault.
"I was incredulous," he said. "I was criminally assaulted, I was arrested without cause, and then I was jailed for 27 hours."
Both of the charges against Kerwood were dismissed by a judge last week, and the senior is now demanding damages for injuries including bruising, stiffness and post-traumatic stress. He would also like an apology from the company, and for staff members to receive better training.
Loblaw Companies, which owns Real Canadian Superstore, would not confirm whether the loss-prevention officer still works at the store, or whether it has prepared a statement of defence in the case.
It did issue a brief statement on Tuesday, saying: "We do not normally comment on issues before the courts, however we believe it is important to note that this video only shows a portion of the incident."
None of the allegations outlined in Kerwood’s lawsuit have been proven in court.
With a report from CTV Vancouver's Scott Roberts
