Nanaimo RCMP at approximately 10:30 PM on Tuesday March 22, 2022, a man allegedly bear sprayed liquor store employees and ran off with several expensive bottles of Scotch whiskey from the Landing Liquor Store, located in the Brooks Landing Mall.
According to RCMP the store staff reported two women are believed to be accomplices to distract the employees while the male suspect selected the liquor bottles. One of the employees approached the male suspect to inform him 911 was being called.
The man is then said to have pulled out a canister of bear spay and discharged it in the direction of the employees as he bolted for the exit door with the booze and in to the parking lot.
The police attended offered medical aid to both employees but was declined. RCMP searched the surrounding area for the suspects but were unable to locate them.
The male suspect is described to be in his mid 20’s, approximately 6 ft. 2 and dark gelled hair. At the time he was wearing white runners with a zipper. One of the women is believed to be Indigenous, heavy set and was wearing a long grey jacket with a red hoodie underneath. The other woman was Caucasian, with a slim build, wearing a black and yellow face mask, and a black hoodie with a white triangular logo on the front.
If anyone has information on this incident or recognizes any of the suspects, please call the Nanaimo RCMP non-emergency line at 250-754-2345, and quote file # 2022-9736.
