Security guard, 22, stabbed by shoplifter at Dollarama store

A security guard was stabbed as he tried to stop a shoplifter at a Dollarama store in Winnipeg Tuesday, the latest in a string of violent incidents at the discount chain.

Winnipeg police were called to the outlet in the Courts of St. James, at 2727 Portage Ave., around 4 p.m.

Police said the guard, who is employed by Impact Security, had confronted a man suspected of shoplifting and directed him to leave the store. The suspect pulled out a sharp-edged weapon and stabbed the guard in the upper body before fleeing with stolen merchandise.

The guard, 22, was seriously injured and was taken to hospital in unstable condition. He was later upgraded to stable condition.

Police said no arrests had been made.

On Wednesday morning, the mood in the store was subdued. Several customers checked in on employees after hearing about the stabbing. The Impact Security guard stationed in front of the store stopped a person who was trying to steal an armful of goods. The guard offered to pay for one item — a $2.52 carton of protein milk — and the would-be shoplifter agreed. He took the milk and left the other products behind.

“He’s gonna leave the other stuff and go,” the security guard told the Free Press reporter. “Might (not be) any drama, and it’s better.”

The guard, who requested that his name be withheld, said he didn’t know his colleague who had been stabbed. He called the crime “scary.” He said he has been verbally attacked, but never physically. However, the threat of violence is always there.

“We are just verbally trying to talk to someone. I don’t know what he’s on, what he has taken, and what he’s trying to do,” he said.

Several customers and staff at neighbouring stores said the Dollarama has been a hub for shoplifting and petty crime.

Michelle Normandeau works in the area and has family members who live nearby. She said the shopping centre is typically quiet, but she has witnessed shoplifting at the Dollarama and worries about it.

“Tensions go up. It must be scary for the cashiers,” she said. “It comes down to we need better social services … I don’t think anyone would choose to steal. I don’t think anyone chooses to have addictions or not live a full life. The problem is, I don’t know what the answer is.”

Impact Security Group president and CEO Ron D’Errico said on Tuesday, the security guard had approached the shoplifter in a “peaceful” manner.

While he described the stabbing as an “isolated incident,” he said violence against security staff is rising.

“I’m concerned for every security guard in the province of Manitoba,” he said. “It’s a very difficult landscape. It doesn’t matter who the company is, the organization that employs them, or whether they’re regulated to private or contracted law enforcement security.”

In March, an Impact guard was arrested after a video showed a would-be shoplifter being beaten at the 295 Portage Ave. Dollarama outlet. He was charged with assault with a weapon, unauthorized possession of a prohibited or restricted weapon and uttering threats. His next court date is Sept. 22. The accused shoplifter was charged with robbery and uttering threats.

In June, a man was charged with arson after a fire was set inside the same Dollarama. No injuries were reported.

D’Errico said criminal incidents won’t subside until underlying social issues are addressed through rehabilitative programs and tougher penalties.

“This is going to be the norm until changes are made in this province. This is going to be the norm for all security guards across Canada, especially in Manitoba,” he said. “Changes need to be made, and sooner than than later, they need to happen now.”

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca