Festival Security Guard Stood Down Over ‘Choking’ Video

A security guard has been stood down pending an investigation after an incident at the Jan. 7 Brisbane, Australia, stop at the three-state FOMO festival.

Footage of the man allegedly choking a patron went viral, with 500,000 Facebook views in the first 24 hours.

The video shows the man appearing to have his hand around the patron’s throat as he lay on the grass, swearing at others who try to intervene and being restrained by another guard.

While the video does not show what caused the incident, security company Asset Protection Systems said in a statement, “We understand that the offender involved was throwing a burning flare into a crowd of onlookers and our security took action to prevent potential injury to the concert guests.” The firm confirmed the guard had been stood down pending internal and Queensland police investigation.

Organisers posted on their Facebook page, “FOMO Festival promoters number one priority is to keep patrons safe and protected at all times and reiterate that we do not condone excessive force or violence at any of our events. We take this matter very seriously and will continue to work with relevant authorities to ensure they have everything they need for their investigation. We are deeply saddened by this incident and FOMO Festival are also currently seeking legal counsel to take further action.”