Distressing Video Shows Dublin Security Guards Kneeling on Man’s Neck – He Later Died

The video is hard to watch. A young Black man, prone on a Dublin street, with security guards kneeling on him and pressing on his neck. He stops moving, and he never gets up. That is not a lawful arrest. That is a death waiting to be investigated.

Private security personnel detained Yves Sakila, a member of Dublin’s Congolese community, on Henry Street on Friday, May 15, 2026. He later died. The alleged offence? Shoplifting. The response? A restraint so prolonged and dangerous that it has triggered a Garda investigation, a Fiosrú inquiry, a vigil, and diplomatic interest from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Now the Irish government is promising a thorough investigation. But the public has already seen enough to ask: why did the authorities ever allow these men to carry PSA licences?

RTÉ reports:

Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan has promised a thorough investigation is under way into the death of Yves Sakila.

Mr Sakila, who was in his 30s, became unresponsive after an incident on Henry Street on Friday.

Two separate investigations into the incident are ongoing, one by gardaí and one by Fiosrú, the police ombudsman.

Mr O’Callaghan extended his condolences to the family of Mr Sakila after what he described as a “very distressing and concerning event”.

“The most important thing that should happen next is that there should be a thorough garda investigation.

“Notwithstanding the fact that it was private security individuals who were involved, there was a subsequent garda involvement and because of that there will also be a Fiosrú investigation,” Mr O’Callaghan said.

Gardaí were alerted after security personnel detained a man on Henry Street in connection with alleged shoplifting at a retail store on the same street after 5pm on Friday.

They said the man subsequently became unresponsive at the scene and was brought to the Mater Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

A vigil was held for Yves Sakila on Henry Street this afternoon. Flowers were placed at the scene of the incident and women from the Congolese community led the group in prayer, song and mourning.

I watched the distressing video of security guards restraining Yves Sakila in Dublin on May 15, 2026. Under Irish law, security guards can only use reasonable force when making a lawful arrest. The law requires necessity, proportionality, limited duration and no obviously dangerous methods. Keeping knees or hands on a prone person’s neck is not reasonable. The restraint continued after any threat had diminished, and the method clearly risked harm.

If the post‑mortem shows causation, like carotid compression, manslaughter charges should follow. These men should never have held PSA licences. They clearly did not understand the limits of violence permitted to private security. Manslaughter charges and permanent bans are the only acceptable punishments.