Global Security Firm and Guard Indicted for Assaulting a Boston Child
Securitas officer choked and punched 11-year-old shoplifter
BOSTON, November 20, 2019 — A Suffolk County Grand Jury on Nov. 19 returned indictments charging MOHAMMAD KHAN, 36, of Cambridge, and his employer SECURITAS SECURITY SERVICES USA INC. of Parsippany, N.J. with assault and battery on a child under 14 and one count each of civil rights violations.
On June 9, 2019, it is alleged that Khan used excessive and unreasonable force to detain an 11-year-old shoplifter, who admitted taking several items of clothing from the Primark store at 10 Summer St. in Boston. Boston Police estimated the value of the stolen goods to be $175.
A lengthy investigation found that Khan, a Special Police Officer, had been reprimanded at least four times previously for using more force than permitted by Securitas and for violating protocol. On June 9, he grabbed the 11-year-old girl, pulled her back into the store, and pushed her into a corner obstructing the view of the CCTV security camera. Over the course of more than seven minutes, Khan, who is 6’ 1’’ and 225 pounds, grabbed the girl by the head and neck and threw her to the ground, punched her in the face while straddling her as she was on the ground, and even after being separated from her by Boston Police, re-engaged in struggling with her. All of this was done even though Khan was under explicit orders not to touch any customer, including suspected shoplifters. In addition, his Securitas co-workers and passersby urged him to stop.
“The Boston Police were exemplary in de-escalating the situation when they arrived, and the other Securitas employees in the store behaved appropriately during the encounter,’’ said District Attorney Rachael Rollins. “Being a Special Police Officer allows someone the power of arrest, but with that power comes great responsibility. I applaud the vast majority of Boston Police officers and SPOs who behave professionally and with restraint.’’
Because of the age of the girl involved, state law mandates that she could not be charged with shoplifting.
The company charged is a subsidiary of Securitas AB, a Swedish-based multi-national corporation with 370,000 employees around the globe and some 120,000 in North America. It is one of the largest security firms in the nation.
Under state law, to prove corporate liability the Commonwealth must show that an individual committed a criminal offense, that the individual who committed the offense was involved in a corporate business, and that the individual was vested with authority to act for the corporation with respect to that business. District Attorney Rachael Rollins’ Office believes those thresholds have been met and exceeded in this instance.
This is not the first time the Office has criminally charged a corporation. Most recently, on Oct. 31, 2019, Atlantic Drain was found guilty of recklessly causing the deaths of two workers, Robert Higgins and Kelvin Mattocks, in a trench collapse in Boston’s South End in 2016.
Additional information about the allegations against Khan and Securitas will be provided during the arraignment in the Magistrate’s Session of Suffolk Superior Court on December 17, 2019.
All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins’ office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, Mass. The office handles over 25,000 cases a year. More than 160 attorneys in the office practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court, and the Boston Juvenile Courts. The office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs to serve anyone who comes in contact with the criminal justice system. This office is committed to educating the public about the services we provide, our commitment to crime prevention, and our dedication to keeping the residents of Suffolk County safe.