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Guards stand by during brutal attack

jamesrage

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Isn't the point of having guards is to have someone around to guard the premises and everything and everyone on that premises? Seems like that would be a job description of being a guard but apparently someone doesn't think so. Because security cameras can record what ever the hell is going on and any passer by can call the cops.


First on KING5: Guards stand by during brutal attack | KING 5 TV | Seattle News, Local News, Breaking News, Weather | Local News

SEATTLE - The KING 5 Investigators have uncovered a disturbing video-tape captured on five different security cameras underneath downtown Seattle.

It shows the graphic beating of a teenage girl in Seattle's Metro bus tunnel, while uniformed security guards simply look on.

The trouble started above ground around 7 p.m. on January 28.

According to police reports, a group of teenagers approached a 15-year-old girl they knew inside Macy’s. The encounter turned antagonistic and moved on to the downtown Nordstrom. The group of 10 teenagers allegedly surrounded the girl and gave her a bad time about what she was wearing. According to police, one in the group threatened her by stating, “Bitch, I’ll kill you.”

The security camera video picks up the scene as the group of teenagers are seen heading into the Metro tunnel at the Westlake Station, apparently following the girl who had been threatened. One of the girls in the group, a 15-year-old who attends McClure Middle School in Seattle, approaches and within a few seconds, without warning, she pushes the victim off the platform and into the bus lanes.

The video shows the two girls hitting each other for a few seconds. Then, the scene gets vicious. The young attacker punches the victim in the head and face 10 times.

"It looks like a very egregious assault, which in fact it was," said Sgt. John Urquhart of the King County Sheriff’s Office, which is investigating the case along with Metro Transit Police. "The two were acquaintances, and there probably is some teenage stuff going on (before the attack) but it certainly doesn’t warrant an assault like this by any stretch of the imagination."

The video clearly shows that all of this is taking place right in front of three security guards. They are well marked with bright yellow jackets that have SECURITY written on the back. While the victim is on the ground getting punched, the guards immediately reach for their radios and call for help, but they do little else.

After the victim is punched, the attack gets worse. The suspect then kicks the girl’s face and stomps on her head six times. The guards make no attempt to get in the middle of the girls or to pull the attacker away. One guard is seen in the distance looking on. He never approaches the scene. Another guard turns his back on the assault. The third stands just inches from the girls, looking on.

And the beating isn’t over. The attacker comes back without anyone trying to restrain her and stomps on the motionless girl’s head one final time.

The attacker and her crew of 10 others - eight boys and young men, and two girls - run up the tunnel escalators.

One of them is clutching the purse he stole from the unconscious teen. Two others have stolen her cell phone and iPod.

A woman who witnessed the entire ordeal from her seat in a bus parked in the tunnel talked to KING 5.

"All of the passengers, we were all up against the side looking, like, who is going to do something? Do something, do something!" said the witness. "Why on earth are there three security guards standing there watching it? And actually allowing her to come back and kick her in the head again!"

When the beating is over, you see on the tape that not one guard bends down to see if the victim is breathing or needs help.

"Really? You've got three male security guards and there's a young girl getting kicked in the head, lying on the ground, motionless? And they couldn't do anything? Doesn't seem like security," said the witness.

The guards are not trained police officers or Metro Transit employees. They're contract workers from Olympic Security Services out of Tukwila. KING 5 attempted to reach them today but didn’t receive a return phone call.

According to their contract, the guards are to "observe and report" problems, not to get involved. Metro Transit General Manager Kevin Desmond says that policy is now out of date.
 
Hmmm....are they union?
 
Hmmm....are they union?

I do not know if it is a union's fault. Maybe the company who employs the guards is worrying about being sued by someone.After all who would want to be a guard if you could protect anything or shoot anyone? There are a bunch of low wage jobs that are not physically or life endangering that someone could have if they just practically want to just sit around and collect a check.
 
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According to their contract, the guards are to "observe and report" problems, not to get involved. Metro Transit General Manager Kevin Desmond says that policy is now out of date.

"Now out of date" translates into it was alright to hire on the cheap and use security guards instead of real police officers just as long as incidents like this never occurred and they get caught.

Metro should be sued over this and forced to use Metro Transit Police instead of security guards. What's the point in having your own police force and then using security guards who have no authority or training to do anything?
 
"Now out of date" translates into it was alright to hire on the cheap and use security guards instead of real police officers just as long as incidents like this never occurred and they get caught.

Metro should be sued over this and forced to use Metro Transit Police instead of security guards. What's the point in having your own police force and then using security guards who have no authority or training to do anything?
I saw the video, and it was said that they were limited to observation only. I guess it reduces the cost of the contract.
 
I saw the video, and it was said that they were limited to observation only. I guess it reduces the cost of the contract.

That's the point. Metro shouldn't be hiring security guards in the first place. They have their own police force, so use it. Quit hiring on the cheap. Now this incident has bitten them in the ass and I hope they get sued to high heaven over it.
 
I wouldn't give a flying **** about any ****ing contract I may have, I would NEVER sit idly by and ****ing watch someone get the **** beat out of them, possibly fatally injured. NEVER. A ****ing piece of paper contract wouldn't stop me from being a compassionate human being.

**** those 'security guards'. I hope they rot in hell for being the bastards they are, contract or no contract.
 
I wouldn't give a flying **** about any ****ing contract I may have, I would NEVER sit idly by and ****ing watch someone get the **** beat out of them, possibly fatally injured. NEVER. A ****ing piece of paper contract wouldn't stop me from being a compassionate human being.

**** those 'security guards'. I hope they rot in hell for being the bastards they are, contract or no contract.
One of the guards did begin to confront the kicker while the girl was on the ground, but a bit late.
 
I do not know if it is a union's fault. Maybe the company who employs the guards is worrying about being sued by someone.After all who would want to be a guard if you could protect anything or shoot anyone? There are a bunch of low wage jobs that are not physically or life endangering that someone could have if they just practically want to just sit around and collect a check.

This was my first thought. My second thought was- isn't it just awful when fashionistas attack. :shock:
 
That's the point. Metro shouldn't be hiring security guards in the first place. They have their own police force, so use it. Quit hiring on the cheap. Now this incident has bitten them in the ass and I hope they get sued to high heaven over it.

This **** happens amongst the animals on a daily basis here in the heart of deepest, darkest Libtardia, this one just happened to get caught on film......:doh
Go to the corner of Third & Pine on any day & you will see the jetsam & flotsam of failed Libtard policy.....;)
This type of scum is the reason I carry a gun to work everyday.....:(
To stand idly by while a prone, defenseless person is head stomped isn't human either........
 
I wouldn't give a flying **** about any ****ing contract I may have, I would NEVER sit idly by and ****ing watch someone get the **** beat out of them, possibly fatally injured. NEVER. A ****ing piece of paper contract wouldn't stop me from being a compassionate human being.

**** those 'security guards'. I hope they rot in hell for being the bastards they are, contract or no contract.

It's easy to say that when you're not the one that might get your ass kicked some mean, greasy as convict.

I don't much blame these dudes, I wouldn't risk my life for minimum wage, either.
 
No one, not even a fire fighter or a police officer (though perhaps in the military?) has a legal obligation to put their life on the line to defend someone else. They do so voluntarily. Whether these guards felt that helping the girl was dangerous to their own welfare, or not encouraged by the policy of their employer, or failed to act for any other reason, it doesn't matter. They did nothing wrong in their inaction. Certainly I myself would have jumped in to stop it, and I am disappointed that neither the guards nor the other observers did anything. But I can't condemn the security guards any more than anyone else who saw it and did nothing.
 
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It's easy to say that when you're not the one that might get your ass kicked some mean, greasy as convict.

I don't much blame these dudes, I wouldn't risk my life for minimum wage, either.

Yes, it is easy to say. Very easy, because I know what kind of person I am. And I'm not one to stand idly by and allow someone to get beaten. It wouldn't matter how much I was ****ing getting paid. If I had been a bystander, I would have jumped in. Simple as.

The fact that you boil it down to money is disgusting to me.
 
Yes, it is easy to say. Very easy, because I know what kind of person I am. And I'm not one to stand idly by and allow someone to get beaten. It wouldn't matter how much I was ****ing getting paid. If I had been a bystander, I would have jumped in. Simple as.

The fact that you boil it down to money is disgusting to me.

Everything boils down to money. If I go in there and get permanently injured, who is going to take care of my family? Who is going to pay my child support? Who is going to support my step kids, since their piece-a-**** ole man doesn't pay a dime of child support?

I'm going to put all that on the line for some piece-a-crap jailbird, then expect the security company to, out of the kindness of their hearts, pick up the tab for my family? Sorry, can't see it hap-nin.
 
Yes, it is easy to say. Very easy, because I know what kind of person I am. And I'm not one to stand idly by and allow someone to get beaten. It wouldn't matter how much I was ****ing getting paid. If I had been a bystander, I would have jumped in. Simple as.

The fact that you boil it down to money is disgusting to me.

Agree with that.....;)

Personally, I'd be ashamed of fearing getting my ass kicked by a 15 year old girl....:3oops:
Not to mention doing nothing after the attack....
This type of thing is getting more & more commonplace up here......:(
 
Everything boils down to money. If I go in there and get permanently injured, who is going to take care of my family? Who is going to pay my child support? Who is going to support my step kids, since their piece-a-**** ole man doesn't pay a dime of child support?

I'm going to put all that on the line for some piece-a-crap jailbird, then expect the security company to, out of the kindness of their hearts, pick up the tab for my family? Sorry, can't see it hap-nin.

Please, three grown men can't ward off a 15 year old animal?.......:roll:
They might as well make themselves useful picking up trash or something, because they sure were not protecting anyone.....:doh
 
Please, three grown men can't ward off a 15 year old animal?.......:roll:
They might as well make themselves useful picking up trash or something, because they sure were not protecting anyone.....:doh

She might have a shank, you don't know. You gonna bet you life that she doesn't?

There are things worth dieing for, but protecting some little brat that's too stupid to stay out of jail isn't one of them.
 
She might have a shank, you don't know. You gonna bet you life that she doesn't?

There are things worth dieing for, but protecting some little brat that's too stupid to stay out of jail isn't one of them.

The girl on the floor did not deserve to be protected?......:confused:
I'm embarassed for you.......:3oops:
 
No one, not even a fire fighter or a police officer (though perhaps in the military?) has a legal obligation to put their life on the line to defend someone else. They do so voluntarily. Whether these guards felt that helping the girl was dangerous to their own welfare, or not encouraged by the policy of their employer, or failed to act for any other reason, it doesn't matter. They did nothing wrong in their inaction. Certainly I myself would have jumped in to stop it, and I am disappointed that neither the guards nor the other observers did anything. But I can't condemn the security guards any more than anyone else who saw it and did nothing.

What's the point of having security guards, if they're not going to provide security for anybody? In Vancouver the public transit system has it's own full fledged police force. Employing so-called security guards and not having them protect anybody is unacceptable.
 
I've actually hired these types of security guards before. They are to observe and report only. If they do get involved they can be sued personally and/or fired from their position. They are not under corporate protection against any lawsuits against them.

With that said I would have definitely jumped in and helped the girl. Not doing anything is just messed up.
 
I've actually hired these types of security guards before. They are to observe and report only. If they do get involved they can be sued personally and/or fired from their position. They are not under corporate protection against any lawsuits against them.

With that said I would have definitely jumped in and helped the girl. Not doing anything is just messed up.

I don't think that those types of security guards are appropriate for a public transit system. If people see security guards in this type of location, they expect assistance from them.
 
I don't think that those types of security guards are appropriate for a public transit system. If people see security guards in this type of location, they expect assistance from them.
perhaps they should be renamed......security observers.
 
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