Security guard in Drammen charged with assault after videos provoked reactions
A security guard from Drammen is charged with assault against two young men following an incident outside the nightclub Xit in the early hours of 31 August last year.
Security guard charged after chokehold and kicks against young men
A security guard from Drammen is charged with assault against two victims following an incident outside the nightclub Xit in the early hours of 31 August last year. This is reported by VG, and the information is confirmed by prosecutor Marit Krogvold Eriksen in the South-East police district to Drammens Tidende.
Police responded to Xit after security guards had forced two young men to the ground and put handcuffs on them. According to police, the two men had disturbed other guests at the nightclub before being thrown out.
Two video recordings document, according to VG.no, how the door staff handled the situation. One video shows a 19-year-old being forced to the ground by several security guards. The now-charged door staff member takes a chokehold around his neck before placing his boot against the back of his neck.
The second recording shows the 19-year-old's friend lying on the ground, held down by other security guards. The same door staff member kicks him twice, according to the video.
The videos provoked strong reactions when they spread in the autumn last year. The door staff member was arrested and charged shortly after the incident. His security licence was temporarily revoked, and he lost his job.
Both victims described the use of force as unprovoked. The 19-year-old told Drammens Tidende: "I thought he was trying to kill me." He says he attempted to go limp to show that he was cooperating.
The friend has explained that he walked away because he reacted to the treatment of his friend, and that he was then forced to the ground and kicked himself. Both have said that the incident has affected them.
Lawyer Oscar Ihlebæk, who represents one of the victims, tells Drammens Tidende that the charge came as no surprise, but does not wish to comment further on the case.
The security guard's defence counsel, Heidi Reisvang at Elden Law Firm, tells VG that the man denies criminal liability. A central question in the case will be whether the use of force was necessary and proportionate, she explains.
Reisvang believes the entire sequence of events must be assessed, not just the clips that have gone viral. "Our view remains that these recordings do not provide a complete picture of the situation, including what led to the intervention and why the security guards considered it necessary to intervene and take control," she says.
The defence counsel states that there should have been several attempts to handle the situation beforehand, including ejection from the venue.
"The charge is not a determination of the question of guilt, and it is now the court's task to make the final assessment of the evidence," says Reisvang.
Source: Google News DK — Crime (da)