San Diego State University issued a statement Thursday in response to an online video showing a security guard restraining a woman and holding her on the ground in a library on campus.
The university said the guard, a contracted employee with Elite Services, attempted to restrain the woman after she slapped his phone and hit him in the face with an open hand.
"The security guard informed the individual that the person was in an unauthorized area within SDSU’s Love Library. SDSU University Police (UPD) were contacted after the individual slapped the guard’s phone and struck the security guard in the face with an open palm," the statement read in part.
According to the statement, the guard was trying to restrain the woman until UPD officers arrived at the scene.
Warning: The below video features graphic content and language.
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The video was posted to Facebook on Tuesday and has been viewed close to 4,000 times.
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The poster called the incident "an obvious abuse of power and shows insufficient/lack of training of de-escalation, which is INEXCUSABLE."
The woman was cited and released for battery and was issued a stay away order for seven days. SDSU said the woman is not affiliated with the university.
UPD officers are working with the contracted security company to review the incident and determine that appropriate protocol was followed, the university said.
