An Indigenous family in Surrey says they plan to pursue legal action against Guildford mall's security team after a 16-year-old girl was detained "in an aggressive and excessive manner."

A bystander to the incident on Tuesday night (Nov. 12) observed and recorded it and sent to the stepfather of the girl in the video, who is seen screaming and crying as several Guildford Town Centre security guards hold her to the ground. The individual recording calls on the guards numerous times to let her go, the video shows.

"As a family, we are deeply concerned about the racial profiling and targeting involved in this incident and are determined to seek justice," said stepfather Sino General.

"We believe the public deserves to know about the realities of racial discrimination faced by Indigenous individuals in public spaces."

According to the family, the teen, of the Cree First Nation, was shopping at Guildford Town Centre with two of her friends when they were approached by mall security. The Indigenous girl was "singled out" by a guard who allegedly accused her of stealing from a store in the mall. 

"Despite co-operating fully by showing her belongings, which contained no stolen items, she was followed, publicly restrained, and forcibly held down by multiple security guards. Her friends, who were with her the entire time, were neither accused nor detained by the same security personnel," General shared, adding that his stepdaughter's friends were both white.

In a phone call, the stepfather shared that his daughter suffered minor injuries, including bruising, and is still sore from the incident.

"This incident, rooted in assumptions tied to her Indigenous identity, has caused her considerable trauma and highlights a troubling pattern of discriminatory treatment toward Indigenous individuals in Canada."

Surrey RCMP shared that the youth was arrested at about 8:45 p.m. for assault after being detained by mall security on Tuesday night, with the security guard alleging that the girl spat toward them. General's daughter was released by police, and the parents were able to take her home that same night.

The stepfather said that the girl did spit towards a security guard in response to the guard allegedly "slapping" her phone out of her hand and breaking it.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing, RCMP added.

General says he intends to pursue legal action against the mall's security team, alleging that the guards applied excessive force to his stepdaughter who is also a minor and was held to the ground for no apparent reason. 

"Other people who work in security have reached out and said 'We are trained not to touch teenagers, especially minors,'" the stepfather shared, adding that many have told him what was exhibited in the video went against training protocol.

"I get the same thing too when I go to Dollarama or when I go to different places. I see them in corners watching us, but they're not watching anybody else, they're only watching us."

Culturally sensitive training for security guards should be implemented or advanced in the company representing the ones involved in the incident, General said, but also in all companies.

"I'm not sure if the security companies are training them to focus on Native people, ... but the security are all focusing on Native people, and I know a lot of people feel like that, that needs to stop.

"A lot of people are upset in the Native community."

Peace Arch News has reached out to Guildford Town Centre for comment.