Securitas launches internal investigation after guard sprays gas in detainee’s face in Helsinki
Securitas has initiated an internal investigation following the circulation of a video showing one of its guards spraying gas at close range into the face of a man lying on the ground in central Helsinki. The incident occurred on 26 June near Metsätalo, according to an eyewitness who provided the footage to Yle.
The eyewitness told Yle that the man had been running from Securitas guards before being caught and forced to the ground. During the pursuit, one guard reportedly shouted insults at the man, including the phrases "fucking monkey" and "you're slow shit." The witness began filming after the man was already restrained, citing concerns for his safety.
Security industry instructor Jari Stolt, who reviewed the footage at Yle’s request, questioned the justification for using the gas spray. "The person is relatively well under control. There are two guards applying, so to speak, weight on top, meaning they are holding the person in place," he said. Stolt, who teaches at the Länsi-Uusimaa Educational Federation Luksia, noted that guards are trained not to spray gas from a distance of less than one metre to avoid eye injuries.
Securitas CEO Jarmo Mikkonen confirmed to Yle that the company’s guards were responsible for the detention and that the man was later handed over to police. "The basis and method of using the gas are being investigated internally," Mikkonen stated, adding that there was a "clear basis for the detention." Neither Yle nor the eyewitness knows why the guards were pursuing the man, though private security personnel in Finland are legally permitted to detain individuals, such as in shoplifting cases, and use force if necessary—including gas spray—if the detainee resists.
The incident has drawn renewed attention to the conduct of security personnel in Finland, following a 2024 court ruling in which eight individuals were convicted of multiple assaults while working in the industry. According to police, the violence in those cases was often directed at intoxicated, defenceless individuals, and minority groups. A separate 2023 video also surfaced showing Securitas guards discussing criminal suspicions against their industry (Yle).
Iltalehti reports that the internal investigation focuses on whether the use of gas in this case was justified and properly executed (Iltalehti).