Montreal police investigating after woman pinned to ground by hotel security guard

Sevim İlgün was at the Quality Inn Hotel on March 6 with her friend when the incident happened. (Photo courtesy of Sevim İlgün)

A security company is apologizing to an Inuk woman for the “regrettable” way a guard treated her at a Dorval hotel that serves as an overflow facility for the Ullivik medical boarding home in Montreal.

Sevim İlgün, however, says she is “traumatized” from being pinned to the ground by an Ullivik-hired security guard who kicked her out of the hotel on March 6.

“I did not sleep for two days because I was in a lot of pain, I was having nightmares of that security sitting on top of me laughing,” she said in an interview.

İlgün, an Inuk woman living in Montreal, entered the hotel with a friend around 1:30 a.m. that morning. Her friend was staying at the hotel for her own medical appointments.

After a night out, they wanted to grab pyjamas for her friend, so she could sleep over at İlgün’s apartment.

“I was waiting for her in the lobby, on the couch,” İlgün recalled in a phone interview. They had been there less than 10 minutes when a hotel security guard approached her and asked her to leave.

“I started walking and I was on the phone trying to order an Uber, and another security guard, behind me, started pushing me,” she said.

There were two teams of security guards on site — one from the Quality Inn and another from Ullivik — which had hired Spartan Groupe Sécurité’s services.

İlgün accuses one Spartan guard of being physically violent with her. One other guard took her phone, she said, while the others stood by passively throughout the altercation.

She said the Spartan security guard touched after she’d gone outside to order an Uber.

İlgün called him out, and she was then surrounded by three security guards, two from Ullivik and one from the Quality Inn.

She said she started recording, pointing at all the security guards. One took her phone, deleted a recording, and cancelled İlgün’s Uber ride.

İlgün said one guard pushed her to the ground.

“I hit my body really hard, and I said, ‘You are hurting me,” she said, adding she tried to get free, but one of the guards put his weight on her back.

“I kept telling him to get off, but he kept putting his body pressure up and down like he was dry humping me.”

At some point during the altercation İlgün’s friend came back down to the lobby, saw what was happening, and went back to her room after receiving threats too, İlgün said.

İlgün pleaded for help to another Uber driver who had arrived, but the security guard pushed him away, saying it was “none of his business,” she said.

“I felt so helpless, I just started covering my face,” İlgün said, adding the security guard was laughing at her and uttering racial slurs.

Eventually the guard stood up and went inside. İlgün was then able to retrieve her phone and called 911.

When the police arrived, İlgün got into a cruiser and accepted a ride home. By then 40 minutes had passed and it was around 2:10 a.m.

Police are investigating the incident, said Jean-Pierre Brabant, a spokesperson for Montreal police. He said police who responded noticed “minor injuries” on İlgün and investigators are waiting for security camera footage of the incident.

Spartan Group Sécurité posted on the Your Voice On Nunavik Facebook page Monday, apologizing for the situation at the hotel.

“This incident in no way reflects the values and security standards that our company is committed to maintaining under all circumstances,” the statement said.

The security company added disciplinary measures were taken against the employee, but did not specify what those measures are.

Quality Inn management also did an internal investigation of the situation and found that one agent “acted inappropriately and did not adhere to the established protocols.”

Manager Nader Abdelnour wrote on Facebook that he apologizes for the “distressing incident.”

The behaviour displayed by the security guard was unacceptable, and that after a thorough investigation, “appropriate actions [were] taken,” the post said.

Ullivik director Rita Novalinga said as well that immediate corrective measures have been taken against its security guards involved.

“Security at Ullivik and the Quality Hotel exists to support and protect Inuit, not to intimidate or harm them,” she said in a written statement.

“We have a zero-tolerance policy for any for of violence or misconduct.”

Novalinga added that Ullivik has reinforced its expectations on all security staff with a strong reminder regarding Inuit history, culture and how they play a role in security interactions.

“We deeply regret this incident, and are taking firm, decisive action to prevent similar situations in the future,” she said.

Ullivik is still working with Spartan to provide security services at the hotel.