City Mall Guards Arrested in Deadly Detention of 24-Year-Old Visitor

In St. Petersburg, law enforcement officers have detained security guards from the City Mall shopping center who are suspected of involvement in the death of a visitor, the Investigative Committee of Russia reported.

Earlier, police said that on January 21, mall security detained a 24-year-old visitor on suspicion of theft. A conflict escalated into a physical altercation, during which the young man sprayed gas from an aerosol device toward the guards.

According to the television channel 78, security guards reportedly pinned the detainee to the floor and choked him for approximately ten minutes. The man was later hospitalized in critical condition.

Cause of Death and Investigation

The visitor subsequently died in the hospital. The Investigative Committee stated that the cause of death was mechanical asphyxiation.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs said that three security guards and a cleaning staff employee took part in the confrontation. One of the security guards involved was placed on a wanted list following the incident.