A robbery attempt was thwarted by two courageous patrons at a convenience store on St. Mary’s Avenue in the early hours of Friday morning, May 17, 2024. The Winnipeg Police Service responded to the incident at approximately 2:30 a.m.
Upon arrival, East District General Patrol officers found two patrons holding down a male suspect involved in the robbery outside the store. The suspect had discharged a canister of bear spray inside the store during the robbery. A 22-year-old male employee and both patrons, aged 29 and 38, were suffering from the effects of the spray.
The Major Crimes Unit took over the investigation and determined that the suspect had entered the store with his face covered, brandished a canister of bear spray, and demanded money from the employee at the counter. A physical struggle ensued when the 38-year-old patron intervened, leading the suspect to discharge the bear spray directly at him. The suspect continued discharging the bear spray as a second patron intervened. Both patrons managed to restrain the suspect until police arrived. Apart from the effects of the bear spray, no additional injuries were reported.
The suspect, a 17-year-old male from Winnipeg, has been charged with several offences, including robbery, disguise with intent, possession of a weapon, assault with a weapon (two counts), and failure to comply with sentence (four counts). He has been detained in custody. The bravery and quick thinking of the patrons have been praised by the local community and the police.
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