A Milan security guard says he has been fired for “doing my job” after drawing his gun during a confrontation with a group of youths accused of harassing young women on the city’s metro.
Ilario Esposito, 52, was initially suspended by Milan transport company ATM after the incident at Cadorna station on March 21, before later being dismissed for just cause, according to Il Giornale.
Three security guards responded after a group of girls said they had been harassed by a gang of youths carrying bottles and glasses on the Milan metro. The girls got off the train and left the platform, but the confrontation continued between the security staff and the gang.
Esposito said the situation escalated after the group refused to show tickets and leave the carriage.
“All we did was ask the boys for their tickets and to leave the carriage,” he said. “They brazenly replied that they didn’t have tickets and that they were used to traveling like this.”
He added that some of the boys then became agitated after getting off the train and held bottles full of alcohol in a threatening manner toward the guards.
The 52-year-old said he drew his gun only after one of the boys pushed him and spilled a drink on him.
“I was simply scared,” Esposito said. “Their intentions were certainly not friendly, and then we learned that the girls had been verbally harassed.”
“They were holding the bottles by the neck, like weapons,” Esposito said. “They wouldn’t put them down.”
He insisted he never pointed the weapon at anyone and held it safely against his chest with the barrel facing down, as cited by Rai News.
“I chose to draw my gun at that moment,” he said. “I couldn’t have known what might happen. I took three steps back, grabbed the gun with my finger off the trigger, and held it to my chest in a safe position.”
“My gesture was to deter, I didn’t threaten anyone,” he added. “It wasn’t a gesture of bravado. I repeatedly ordered the boys with my left hand to put down the bottles, but in the end, they gave up. Period, nothing else happened.”
According to Il Giornale, Esposito had worked for ATM for three years and has four children to support. He had already gone a month without pay after being suspended before the company moved to dismiss him.
ATM disputes his account. The company said the guard “completely disregarded operational protocols” by drawing his gun “without the need for self-defense after a physical altercation with one of the youths.”
According to ATM, the boys were not acting in a threatening manner when the weapon was drawn, and there was no imminent danger. The company also emphasized that Esposito was not alone, but accompanied by another guard, and that the incident took place on a busy metro platform.
ATM described his conduct as a “serious and unjustified disregard for the rules of engagement” and said safety requires strict compliance with procedures. The company also said the gun was not issued by ATM, but was the guard’s personal weapon.
Esposito remains defiant and says the decision sends a disastrous message to those expected to protect passengers.
“They fired me for doing my job,” he said. “If it happens again tomorrow, we might as well put cartoon characters on the platforms.”
The security guard is also reportedly under investigation by the Administrative Police of the Police Headquarters, which is reviewing the footage and could revoke his security guard license, potentially barring him from the profession permanently.
His lawyer, along with the Faisa union, is challenging aspects of the disciplinary process and considering an appeal.
