Avid angler assaulted by Portland security guard after false shoplifting accusation
Portland OR June 13 2023 A man who says he was targeted due to his race, falsely accused of shoplifting and then slammed to the pavement by an armed security guard has filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against a North Portland bait and tackle store.
Nguyen Cao, 35, seeks $250,000 in damages from Fisherman’s Marine Supply; the guard patrolling the store, Ryan Burroughs; and the security company, Talon Protection Group.
Cao said he was shopping for a new fishing rod at the Delta Park outlet on the evening of Jan. 19 when he was accused of pilfering merchandise and decided to start filming the encounter on his cell phone.
“Either empty your pockets, or get out of the store,” the employee, who isn’t identified in the lawsuit, says in the video.
Cao repeatedly denies stealing anything and offers to turn out his pockets, the video shows, while the store employee tells Cao he needs to leave, regardless. After about a two-minute face-off, a security officer enters the frame and orders Cao to leave, then threatens Cao with force when he turns the camera back on the guard.
“If you turn around again, I’m going to put you on the ground,” the guard says.
The guard grabs Cao by his sweatshirt, according to the video, and as the two enter the parking lot an apparent struggle breaks out, with the camera’s viewpoint shaking and then suddenly dropping to the ground.
The video appears to show the guard unholstering some sort of weapon as Cao gets into his vehicle. The lawsuit claims the guard pulled and pointed a handgun at Cao, while a lawyer for Burroughs and his employer says he grabbed a Taser but did not use it. Cao left the property in his car without further interaction.
In an interview, Cao said he needed physical therapy for his injuries and suffered emotional distress and sleepless nights in the wake of the encounter. Moreover, he said it shattered his sense of belonging, and makes him nervous whenever he patronizes other stores that also employ security guards.
“You always think that if you do everything right, you obey the laws, nothing bad will happen to you,” said Cao, a Vancouver-based real estate agent. “This just crushed all my beliefs in life.”
A devoted fisherman, Cao grew up reeling in carp in Vietnam, but now he mainly casts for steelhead and salmon while fishing on his friend’s boat or on local riverbanks.
His attorney, Ben Cox, provided bank statements showing Cao has spent nearly $500 at Fisherman’s Marine since 2021, including $86 earlier in 2023. His lawsuit cites online reviews of Fisherman’s Marine that appear to show other shoppers of color had negative experiences there.
In a statement, the security company’s attorney, Taylor Duty, said Talon takes allegations of racial discrimination seriously and believes that the guard will be cleared of all liability.
“Mr. Burroughs denies that an assault occurred and, along with Talon Protection Group, expressly denies all wrongdoing with respect to Mr. Cao’s claims in this matter,” Duty said.
Fisherman’s Marine did not respond to a request for comment.
