Danny (47) from Asten has only recently started working for a security company and after he was abused he wants to stop. Last weekend he got stuck in Veldhoven and was beaten. He had to be treated in hospital. That got him thinking: “I don’t think I’ll keep doing this job.”
Danny had inspected a business premises on Friday night and drove across the Burgemeester Van Hoofflaan at half past two. He tells what happened next: “In my mirror I saw that a van was driving right behind me and zigzagging from left to right. The van continued to follow me. As I approached an intersection, I gave way to that car so it could pass me and keep going.”
A little further on, however, Danny got stuck. Even before the security guard realized what was happening, he was already beaten by the two men in the van. Because he was still behind the wheel, he could not defend himself. Danny remembers it well, although he obviously doesn’t like to think about it.
“Maybe they were afraid I had seen something.”
“I think those men saw the logo of the security company on the car I was driving. Perhaps they were afraid that I had seen something that cannot stand the light of day.” Danny was impressed by the stature of the two attackers. “Kickboxers I think. I have also kickboxed for years, you will recognize that.”
Danny is still suffering from the abuse three days later. His left eye is closed and he has a constant headache and ringing in his ears. “And not only that. This is really traumatic. Since that assault I can’t sit still. If I hear something pass by or hear raindrops fall, I am already shocked. My short-term memory is also affected.”
“The police arrived within three minutes.”
“I have been on the road as an international driver for over twenty years and nothing like this has ever happened to me. Colleagues of mine who have been in security for some time have always been spared that. I wonder if I still want to do this work”, Danny sighs.
He is very happy with the help of the police. “After I was beaten up, the men ran off with my car keys and a key that fits many locks. I was able to quickly call 112 and the police were there within three minutes.”
“Within ten minutes one of the men was arrested.”
“I gave them a description of the van, the license plate number and the description of one of the perpetrators. With this they were able to arrest one of the men in Eindhoven within ten minutes. In the Máxima Medical Center, where I was taken, I could immediately file a report. They will also view the images from the dashcam.” The police confirm what Danny believes happened.