Videos show altercation between St. Mary’s students, security guard

KITCHENER — A series of videos showing an altercation between St. Mary’s High School students and a Tone-Gar security guard has made the rounds on social media.

The five videos, which show one security guard surrounded by teens, was posted on Instagram by a page called @519k.wposts on Thursday.

What happened before the video started is unknown, but it starts with the security guard telling a young woman to leave the property. When she refuses, he attempts to place her in handcuffs.

A struggle ensues and the young woman eventually gets away from the grasp of the security guard. Tone-Gar Security Services Inc., the company whose security officer was assigned to that area, declined to comment on the matter. The security presence was requested by businesses in the plaza in order to control the loitering of students, according to the property management company.

“It’s just because we have a lot of tenants there that don’t necessarily deal with the students and they want to make sure they’re not loitering,” said Ken Lechter of Kingsley Developments, which manages the building.

“Push me again,” the young woman is heard saying in the second video. After the security guard instructs her to leave the property, she shoves him with what appears to be dozens of bystanders watching and recording the altercation.

“Get your s— and go. Get your s— and leave,” the security guard is heard saying to the young woman.

In the third video, other students become involved in the verbal altercation.

In the fourth video, the verbal altercation becomes heated, as another young woman hits the security guard in the face after he tried to grab the young woman he attempted to detain earlier.

At the peak of the altercation, Waterloo Regional Police Service officers arrived at the plaza and many of the students fled the area.

John Shewchuk, chief managing officer of the Waterloo Catholic District School Boar (WCDSB), said the board is aware of the incident and school staff attended the shopping centre when police arrived.