A man was arrested in Sooke after he allegedly stole three bottles of wine, then swung a sword at employees as they tried to stop him, say police.
According to the Sooke RCMP, a man walked into a liquor store located in the 6800-block of West Coast Road at around 5:30 p.m. on July 11 and stole three bottles of wine.
As employees attempted to stop the suspect from leaving the store, he pulled out a two-foot sword, swung it at them and left the scene, RCMP say.
Staff then contacted 911 and decided to follow the suspect in a vehicle from a safe distance, police say.
Eventually, Sooke RCMP officers arrested the man, who was non-compliant and was still in possession of the allegedly stolen wine bottles as well as the sword.
“This was a dangerous situation that fortunately resulted in the safe arrest of the suspect by police without anyone being hurt,” Sooke RCMP Sgt. Kevin Shaw said in a press release.
Sooke RCMP stress that people should call 911 before attempting to follow an armed suspect.
“In situations like these, we always recommend to call the police immediately and then, only if safe to do so, provide us with updates of the suspect from a safe place. As evidenced here, what appears to be a minor incident can rapidly turn violent without warning. That’s what we are here to deal with,” said Shaw.
Sooke RCMP say they have recommended to the crown that the suspect be charged with robbery
Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to contact the Sooke RCMP Detachment at 250-642-5241 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) to remain anonymous.
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