B.C. Supreme Court Awards $1.8 Million to Transgender Youth Following Violent Mall Arrest

The B.C. Supreme Court has awarded $1.8 million in damages to a young man who was assaulted and wrongfully detained by security guards at Burnaby’s Metrotown mall in 2019. The plaintiff, who was a 17-year-old transgender youth at the time of the incident, was subjected to excessive force and held in a mall holding cell without access to a phone.

Of the total award, the court ordered Paladin Security to pay $1 million in punitive damages. The ruling follows testimony that the company's guards pushed the teenager down a flight of stairs and conducted an unlawful arrest, later testifying that they "believed they had done nothing wrong." The judge noted that Paladin was "extremely lucky" the injuries were not more catastrophic, stating that the substantial penalty was necessary to get the company’s attention regarding its "uncaring attitude" toward use-of-force complaints.

Both Paladin Security and the mall’s owner, Ivanhoe Cambridge, admitted to the assault and false imprisonment. They acknowledged that the guards’ conduct caused the plaintiff significant physical and psychological harm, including a concussion, chronic headaches, sleep disturbances, anxiety, and depression. The court found that the security firm’s upper management was dismissive of the incident and failed to properly investigate even after a formal complaint was filed.

The total $1.8 million compensation package includes $1 million for punitive damages, $250,000 for aggravated damages related to mental distress, $525,000 for past and future loss of income, and $25,000 for future care. In response to the ruling, Paladin Security expressed disappointment and indicated they are reviewing the decision for a potential appeal.