Mall Death Prompts Call For Security Guard Training Review

SOUTHFIELD (WWJ/AP) - Two state legislators are calling for a review of training standards following the death of a 25-year-old man following a confrontation with security guards at a metro Detroit shopping mall.

Rep. Thomas Stallworth III of Detroit and Rep. Rudy Hobbs of Southfield on Wednesday said they also asked the state police and Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs to quickly look at security guard licensing and compliance.

McKenzie Cochran died Jan. 28 after being pepper-sprayed, handcuffed, and pushed to the ground by guards at Northland Center in Southfield, just north of Detroit.

Officials say Cochran told a mall jewelry store owner that he wanted to "kill somebody," and the owner called security.

An attorney for Cochran said the man can be heard on a cell phone video pleading for help, telling the guards he can't breath and that he's dying as they continue to crush him to the floor.

Cochran's mother told reporters her son was murdered. The family will be filing a wrongful death lawsuit.

Medical examiners are awaiting toxicology results for Cochran to help determine a cause of death.

A police investigation is ongoing.

TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.