Security guard sprays gas into face of restrained man in Helsinki

A video obtained by Yle shows a Securitas security guard spraying gas directly into the face of a man already pinned to the ground in central Helsinki on 26 June.

The footage, recorded by a bystander near Metsätalo, captures the guard shouting insults at the man before restraining him. According to the witness, the guard yelled, “Fucking monkey” and “You’re a slow piece of shit.”

Securitas CEO Jarmo Mikkonen confirmed the incident involved company guards and stated that an internal investigation into the use and justification of the gas spray is underway. He added that the detention had a clear basis and the man was later handed over to police.

Jari Stolt, a security industry instructor at Länsi-Uusimaa vocational college, reviewed the video at Yle’s request. He questioned the necessity of the gas spray, noting the man appeared to be under control with two guards restraining him. Standard training advises against spraying gas into a person’s face from less than a metre away to avoid eye injury.

Finnish law permits security guards to detain individuals, such as in cases of suspected theft, and to use force, including pepper spray, if the subject resists violently. Stolt described the restraint itself as “routine,” apart from the spraying.

Yle has no information that police are investigating the incident. The witness, whose identity is withheld, began recording after the guards had already detained the man, citing concerns for his safety.