Overview

• On June 11 at 4:30 p.m. at Northgate Mall in San Rafael, a security guard allegedly struck a juvenile cyclist with a private security vehicle after pursuing children who had torn down caution tape.
• Witnesses reported that Melvin Anthony Kennedy, 66, yelled at juveniles on the parking structure’s lower level before giving chase and briefly fleeing the scene.
• Responding paramedics provided medical aid and transported the child to a Marin County hospital, where they were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
• Kennedy surrendered to the San Rafael Police Department and was booked into Marin County Jail on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and felony child abuse.
• Critics have raised questions about the private security company’s hiring and training standards after the incident.