Urban explorer says he was attacked by security outside shuttered Ford City Mall
Online videos of urban exploration typically involve trespassing in old buildings and tunnels and they can rack up millions of online views.
One explorer, who admits he was looking for a way into the shuttered Ford City Mall Monday night, says he was attacked outside the mall by security in an unprovoked assault.
He's an urban explorer known online to millions of followers as Decaying Midwest.
"We really like going into abandoned buildings and document them," he said. "They leave all kinds of crazy stuff behind. It's the architecture behind it, the history sometimes."
The urban explorer, who doesn't want to use his real name, says on Monday night, a man claiming to be a security guard drove an unmarked SUV into his friend riding a scooter outside the shuttered Ford City Mall.
"It's just insane," he said. "I don't think a security guard should be doing anything like that and I think the guy should be charged."
Moments later, in another part of the Ford City Mall parking lot, the same white SUV caught up with the man behind the Decaying Midwest account.
"I floored the lime scooter to get past him while he was distracted in the back door, but he just came with a piece of metal and smacked it right into my arm."
The 28-year-old content creator says that despite finding the white car in the parking lot and alerting Chicago police, no one has been arrested.
"The female officer told me, she goes, I'm pretty sure the security was just trying to do their job and I said I don't think their job is to try and run people over."
The mall closed in June after more than 60 years and has since been entered and documented by Decaying Midwest.
The realty group that owns the mall issued the following statement:
"Ford City Mall Ownership has seen the videos circulating online and is disturbed by what they appear to show. The safety of anyone on our property, regardless of the circumstances, matters to us, and the actions depicted do not reflect mall security protocols nor conduct that Ownership condones. We are taking the investigation of this incident very seriously, in collaboration with the Chicago Police Department."
They followed up with another statement confirming the security guard has been suspended indefinitely.
"Ford City Mall Ownership can confirm that the security officer involved has been suspended indefinitely pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation into the incident, which is being conducted in continued collaboration with the Chicago Police Department.Ownership has also since re-reviewed the existing protocols and expectations with the full security team around not engaging with trespassers, involving law enforcement, and the prohibited use of personal vehicles while on-duty. Dash cameras have been added to authorized security vehicles for recording patrols to provide additional documentation and accountability going forward."
