June Zawada said she got into a scuffle with a shoplifter at the Metrotown Mall Walmart last year and was pushed to the ground by a security guard.
A bystander caught during an altercation between a security guard and a shoplifter at a Burnaby Walmart has filed a complaint against the security guard and the store.
June Zawada was at Walmart at Metrotown Mall on July 21, 2022, according to a notice of civil action filed in B.C. Supreme Court last Wednesday.
She said she was pushed to the ground by a security guard “during an altercation with a shoplifter.”
Zawada suffered a broken nose, cuts, scrapes and bruises on both elbows and other areas in the incident, and is now suffering from headaches, anxiety, depression and insomnia, according to the claim.
Zawada said the security guard, identified in the complaint only as John Doe, was negligent, used excessive force, acted recklessly and failed to safely handle the altercation.
The security guard also failed to “investigate and report any injuries sustained by attendees on the premises,” according to the claim.
Zawada is also suing Walmart, the mall’s owner, Ivanhoe Cambridge, and a security firm for failing to properly hire and train security guards to safely handle altercations.
Zawada is seeking general damages from all three defendants for pain and suffering, loss of income and household expenses, but is also seeking “punitive and punitive damages” against the security guard.
None of Zawada’s claims have been proven in court.
None of the defendants has yet filed a response to this claim.
Burnaby RCMP confirm that on July 21, 2022, at approximately 12:45 p.m., officers were called to the Metrotown Walmart for a report of a shoplifter who was involved in an altercation with a security guard.
Police said the shoplifter was charged with theft and assault, but the assault charge was later deferred.
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Email cnaylor@burnabynow.com