A 225-pound security guard at a Boston fashion store has been indicted on charges of assault and civil rights violations after allegedly punching an 11-year-old girl who was shoplifting, authorities said.
A Suffolk County grand jury in Massachusetts on Tuesday handed down the charges against Mohammad Khan, 36, of Cambridge, and his employer, Securitas Security Services USA.
They are accused of “assault and battery on a child under 14 and one count each of civil rights violations” relating to the June 9 incident that occurred in a downtown store, according to a statement from the Suffolk County district attorney’s office. The statement alleges the officer also choked the child.
Prosecutors allege Khan used “excessive and unreasonable force” to detain the girl, who admitted to stealing several articles of clothing from Primark at Downtown Crossing. Boston police estimate the stolen goods were valued at $175. Khan grabbed the child, pulled her back into the store and pushed her into a corner obstructing the view of the security camera… CNN News