‘I didn’t think it would happen to me twice in my lifetime,’ says Ezekial Bigknife
Warning: this story contains distressing content.
CBC News: First posted on May 26, Updated on May 29
Five years ago, Ezekial Bigknife was racially profiled while shopping at a store in Regina. Now he says it has happened to him again, and that this time he was assaulted while confronting his alleged antagonists. Bigknife — displaying bruises on his neck, a black eye and cuts on his face — told CBC News he is frustrated. “It’s shocking, because I didn’t think it would happen to me twice in my lifetime,” Bigknife said.
In November 2017, Bigknife was followed by a loss prevention officer at a Giant Tiger. He published a video online documenting the incident. After it attracted national attention, he received an apology from the company and the employee was fired.
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Bigknife now says it happened to him again this month — this time at the Canadian Tire in the 600 block of Albert Street in Regina. He told CBC that on May 20, he went to the Canadian Tire and was accused of stealing a socket set that he had just purchased, but was left alone after showing a receipt.
Then on May 23, Bigknife returned to the store with his brother to purchase parts to repair a truck. He said he was followed around by two loss prevention employees, and used his phone to document it and post the video online. The video shows the 24-year-old confronting the employees, then eventually going to a till and making his purchase.
Bigknife said he realized shortly after that he had bought the wrong part and went back inside the store. He and the loss prevention officers exchanged words, but Bigknife eventually left the store. Bigknife then decided to confront the loss prevention person on video, and returned inside with his phone out. That’s when things got violent, he said.
The alleged assault
The second video shows three employees, including a security guard, attempting to force Bigknife out of the store. During the video, Bigknife’s phone is knocked out of his hand onto the ground. He said the security guard then started assaulting him. “The minute you hear him grunt, that’s when he started throwing punches,” Bigknife said.
Watch the portion of the video where Bigknife says the alleged assault happened:
Click on the following link to watch the video;
Ezekial Bigknife wanted to record video of men he said had been racially profiling him in a Regina Canadian Tire. There was a physical altercation and a security guard now faces an assault charge.The incident occurs off-screen, but yelling can be heard, including calls to stop and for someone not to swing.
Bigknife said he didn’t fight back and eventually left the store. He’s been to the doctor and has medication, but he has been left bruised. “I’m a carpenter. I need my hands. I need my shoulder, and I can’t even lift my tool bag with my shoulder. I can’t lift this hand because it has a hairline fracture and it’s definitely painful,” he said.
Bigknife said that police were initially going to charge him, but after he showed officers the videos, they told him they had charged the security guard with assault. The Regina Police Service confirmed they have charged a 20-year-old with assault. He is scheduled to make his first appearance in court in July.
- Giant Tiger employee suspended after video showing Indigenous customer being followed
- First Nations man may take Canadian Tire case to Sask. public complaints commission
A spokesperson for Canadian Tire said they are aware of the altercation. In a statement, the company said the security guard is an employee with a third-party agency and after a review of the incident, the security guard will not be returning to the store. “Stores have strict protocols and training programs in place with third-party representatives to ensure clear understandings of expectations on how to conduct business and treat customers with respect,” reads the statement.
Bigknife said their response is not good enough.
He said the company is evading accountability by blaming a third-party security guard and not examining how their loss prevention program — and the racial profiling he experienced — contributed to the violence. “That’s what’s bothering me about the whole ordeal. Not once did they reach out,” Bigknife said.
He wants the company to change its policies so racial profiling doesn’t happen. Bigknife said he has been in contact with lawyers. He is also considering filing a human rights complaint.
Tough conversations
When the incident at Giant Tiger occurred five years ago, Bigknife’s son was one year old. Now, five years later, Bigknife also has a young daughter. The father of two said he’s had difficult conversations with his children. “‘Dad, why did you get beat up? Dad? How come you’re beat up like that? Dad, are you going to jail?’ … I had to have that conversation with him,” Bigknife said.
He said he is upset that his son now knows about systemic racism through his father’s experience.
On a personal level, Bigknife said he will once again begin looking over his shoulder every time he steps into a store, a practice he thought he had finally gotten over. “Am I going to have to get assaulted every time I go shopping? You know what I mean? Like, it’s definitely no good,” he said.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alexander Quon, Reporter
Alexander Quon is a reporter with CBC Saskatchewan based in Regina. After working in Atlantic Canada for four years he’s happy to be back in his home province. He has previously worked with the CBC News investigative unit in Nova Scotia and Global News in Halifax. Alexander specializes in data-reporting, COVID-19 and municipal political coverage. He can be reached at: Alexander.Quon@cbc.ca.