Young man to file complaint after arrest by Algonquin College security guards

A young Ottawa man plans to file a complaint with Algonquin College and wantsOttawa police to investigate after he was injured during an arrestby college security guards while he was walking home from agrocery store in the dark.

It happened late Wednesday night, just before midnight.

Noah Coker, 21, saidhe was cutting across campus to get to his homeon Tower Road after shopping at anearby 24-hour Loblawsstore at College Square. He was carrying a plastic bag withbread and milk inside.

As he walked past studentresidences and asoccer field, he said he was approached by a security guard who warned him about trespassing.

"I guess because I was stumbling or something, I was approached by asecurity guard at Algonquin who reminded me that Algonquin was private property and thatI should probably be on my way," said Coker, who is half black, in an interview Friday.

He said he didn't think he was stumbling, and that hewas perplexed atbeing singled out.He was walking alone, butthere were other people nearby, skateboarding and hanging out on campus.

To protect himself, Cokersaid, he took out his smartphone.

'It really just perplexed me'

5 years ago

Duration 0:48

Noah Coker, 21, says he was walking home from buying groceries on Wednesday night when he was tackled and handcuffed by Algonquin College security guards.

Called for backup

"I took out my phone to try to record him, becauseI was scared and you know how these situations usually play out," he said.

The phone's battery was dead. At that point the first security guard called for backup, and two more guards showed up to escort Cokeroff the property, hesaid.

As they reachedthe parking lot of the veterinary science building, which is a shortwalk fromhis home,Coker, who didn't want the guards to see where he lived, said he turned around and asked the guards to stop following him.

That's when the situation escalated.

"[The guards]took me down and I guess tackled me. I hit my head on the concrete and just crushed my groceries, andthey arrested me and put me in cuffs and brought me to the security building," he said.

Asked if he feltrace played a role in the arrest, Coker said it didn't feel that way at first.

"I didn't feel that way until ... one of the security guards came over and, as I was being taken down and arrested, he handcuffed me and said, 'Oh, don't worry, you look fine, you look like you've been arrested before,'" Coker said.

'It's insane'

Coker's girlfriend, Cassandra Gendron, heard screaming from the front porch of theirhome on Tower Road, less than 500 metres away. Gendron was with her sister, waiting for Coker to come home with the groceries.

"I just heard a bunch of screaming and yelling," she said. Gendron then asked her sister to come with her to see what was going on.

"We started booking it to the situation because ... itlooked like he was gettingmugged. Hisbag was ripped, his food was everywhere," she said.

She was shocked to see security guards on top of her boyfriend, and said theyshould be fired.

"There's kids and there'sdorms here where kids are trying to walk home or they're going to go get food, and people are just going toget attacked? ... That's insane. They shouldn't be working there, they should get new security," Gendron said.

'Noticeably intoxicated and hostile,' college says

In an emailed statement to CBC News on Friday, Algonquin Collegesaidsecurity staff "became aware of a man causing a disturbance on college property" Wednesday,and that he was "noticeably intoxicated and hostile when approached."

The college said Coker, who is not a student, was asked repeatedly to leave and was warned he would be arrested if he didn't comply.

"When he failed to leavehe was arrested, at which point he becameviolent with security and a scuffle occurred," the college's statement reads.

Coker saidhe did have four small (236 mL)cans of beeroverfive hours, andinsistedhe wasn't being belligerent and wasn't drunk.

"You look at me, I'm a tiny guy. There's no need for three security guards to come up to me and bully me out of the Algonquin parking lot," he said.

"I just felt like I wastired. I was tryingto get home with my groceries and make my food and go to bed. I was more tired than anything."

Trespassing ticket issued

After arresting Coker, the collegesaidthe matter was turned over to Ottawa police.

Cokerrecalled thatOttawa police officers removed his handcuffs, watchedsecurity footage of the incident, and released him without charge.

Policeconfirmed Friday that no charges were laid, but that a trespassing ticket was issued by campus security.

On Thursday, Coker spent several hours at the Ottawa Hospital to be treated for a mild concussion.His face and shoulders are bruised and scraped. He's experiencingpainful headaches, he said, and bright lights hurt his eyes. AnER doctor's note recommended a couple days off work.

Until the no trespassing order is lifted, Coker is banned from campus, doubling the length of time it will take him to walk to and from the grocery store.

Meanwhile,Coker has scheduled a meeting with Algonquin College next week to file a complaint. He said he also wants Ottawa police to investigate the arrest as an assault.