By Aleysha Haniff
Associate News Editor
Pendar Hadian, a fourth-year sociology student, claims Ryerson security physically assaulted him last month.
The assault, which allegedly occurred on Dec. 10 at about 5 p.m., happened outside of the campus bar, the Ram in the Rye.
Hadian claims he was slammed against a wall outside the pub by two guards after refusing to show Ryerson I.D. Though Hadian didn’t have his OneCard on him, he said that he wouldn’t have presented it if he did.
He says he was kneed in the groin, causing him to black out for a few moments.
“At that point I went down on the ground, face first,” he said.
Hadian says he received a bloody lip and a bump on his forehead and had his earphones broken.
“I’m not your typical drunken, belligerent, physically aggressive suspect,” said Hadian.
When he came to, Hadian said that four guards were on top of him, attempting to put him in handcuffs. One allegedly had a knee to his head.
Hadian was asked to leave the Ram by the manager. He left the pub but stopped for a cigarette on the patio, where he was approached by security and the assault allegedly occurred.
Once in handcuffs, Hadian said that the four escorted him to Security and Emergency Services.
“I said I would speak only to the police,” he said. “At that point, they started acting professionally.”
Security supervisor Imre Juurlink couldn’t comment on specific details about the incident.
“We have to follow all the laws when it comes to the use of force,” she said. “We’re allowed to use force to arrest someone as long as it’s a reasonable amount.” She said that they follow a procedure similar to that of police.
She added that arrests are rare in non-violent situations, particularly when students are co-operative.
The police gave Hadian a $50 ticket for failing to leave private property when asked. “The fact that they [the police] saw the situation objectively and made up for it with their efficiency and their little nominal ticket, it allowed security to save face,” Hadian said. He was also banned from the Ram and the Rye.
Hadian plans on filing an official complaint. He sees the incident as a student safety issue.
“I have just as much right to not show my I.D. as they do kicking me out. Assaulting someone is inhuman.”
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