Anthony Georgiou wailed for assistance and gasped for air as two Bunnings Warehouse security personnel locked him in a headlock.
Officers attempted to prevent him from fleeing after he stole a gas cylinder and saw blade from a Frankston, Melbourne, store.
A Current Affair got terrifying footage of Mr. Georgiou shouting “help me, help me, let me go” as he struggled against his attackers on the ground.
In 2016, Anthony Georgiou died after being pinned to the ground by outsourced Bunnings security while he shouted for aid.
The store’s subcontracted loss prevention officers (LPOs) proceeded to restrain the 31-year-old despite his obvious distress.
He became unconscious, was sent to the hospital, and died later that day.
A Victorian coroner has determined that Mr. Georgiou’s death in September 2016 would not have occurred if he had not been restrained by Bunnings employees.
There is little doubt that Mr. Georgiou would have walked away from Bunnings that day had he not been involved in the struggle, coroner Darren Bracken said in findings released on Tuesday.
Mr Georgiou was arrested for attempting to rob the Frankston, Melbourne, Bunnings shop when he was placed in a headlock by security personnel.
Heinrich Bouwer, the forensic pathologist who performed Mr. Georgiou’s autopsy, determined that his death was caused by complications related to methylamphetamine use in a situation of physical constraint.
He informed the coroner that Mr. Georgiou’s inability to breathe was a result of being placed in a headlock at Bunnings.
The security officers told the inquest that they originally attempted to convince Mr. Georgiou to return the stolen property to the store, but he grew belligerent, yelled “no f*** off,” and fled.
Unsettling footage shows Mr. Georgiou wailing for assistance while being held on the ground by a security guard.
One of the cops claimed he grabbed Mr. Georgiou near the exit, informed him he was under arrest, and urged him to return with them, but he was disregarded.
He attempted to grasp Mr. Georgiou across the chest and throw his leg behind him in an effort to bring him to the ground, but Mr. Georgiou was “so strong that when I grabbed him, he lifted me up.”
According to the two officers, they breached Bunnings’ code of conduct and the training given to LPOs on how to deal with thieves when they attempted to subdue the suspect by putting him in a headlock.
Mr. Georgiou (shown with his then-four-year-old daughter) attempted to take a propane tank and a saw blade.
However, the coroner discovered that neither individual had received a copy of the code and neither had received training.
The manager of the business witnessed the altercation but did not act. He told the jury that Bunnings had warned him not to work with LPOs when they were dealing with stolen goods.
He stated, “I am not trained from a security standpoint.” Therefore, I do not know how the gentleman or LPOs handle these circumstances and what is good and wrong.
Heinrich Bouwer, a forensic pathologist, determined that Mr. Georgiou’s death was the result of methylamphetamine usage problems in a situation of physical restraint.
The coroner provided a number of recommendations for Bunnings, including training for LPOs and store managers on how to handle customer situations.
In addition, he requested that the business assess LPO performance and document all incidences involving them.
Bunnings informed the coroner that, in response to issues raised during the inquest, it had updated its code of conduct to make it clear when physical force may be used.
Since then, it has also revised its contract with contractors.
Ryan Baker, the director of operations for Bunnings, told AAP that the coroner’s recommendations would be thoroughly examined.
In a statement, he added, “We are aware of the findings of the Victorian Coroners Court surrounding this incident, and our thoughts are with Mr. Georgiou’s family at this time.”