A security guard at a California retail store is seen choking a suspected shopper who appears to be deaf. (YouTube)
The video, which was posted on YouTube, shows a man struggling with a security guard while his friend who also appears to be deaf, attempts to intervene.
The incident unraveled at a Forever 21 clothing store in Los Angeles along Hollywood Boulevard. It wasn’t clear when it happened.
According to the video’s description, the two shoppers were exiting the store when a store alarm was triggered but the pair – who are reportedly deaf – kept walking because they weren’t able to hear the alarm.
The video starts just after a security guard tackles one of the men, placing him in a choke hold.
The guard appears to grow increasingly aggressive with the man who nearly falls unconscious as he struggles to breath. The man’s friend is seen trying to communicate with the belligerent security guard, using sign language while flashing receipts but is blocked by another man who also appears to be a store employee.
As the struggle to detain both men continues spectators gather, some even shouting “Stop, leave him alone! He can’t breathe.” Several onlookers are seen taking out their video cell phones and recording the shocking spectacle.
The men are finally detained and taken back inside the XXI Hollywood store where they were questioned. Los Angeles Police arrive to the scene toward the end of the 8-minute video. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the men were charged with a crime.
The identities of the men weren’t released.
