In rod he trusted: Employee injures and thwarts would-be thief with metal rod
CBC News | Posted: June 23, 2017 10:36 PM | Last Updated: June 23, 2017
Suspect was armed with what turned out to be a BB gun; police say employee was fortunate
An employee of a Saskatoon business took matters into his own hands when dealing with a would-be thief early Friday morning.
Shortly after midnight, Saskatoon police officers responded to a business located at the corner of Warman Road and Assiniboine Drive, where a robbery was in progress, according to a Saskatoon Police Service press release.
When the officers arrived, the employee said he had been held at gunpoint by a masked man who had forced his way inside the business through the back door.
A fight apparently ensued, with the employee disarming the suspect by hitting him with a metal rod. The handgun turned out to be a BB gun.
The area is home to several convenience stores, but police are not naming the business.
Gun could have been real, says cop
The 35- to 45-year-old suspect, who is described as 6'2" tall and is thought to have been injured in his fight with the employee, then fled empty-handed in a brown, four-door car.
Police believe he may seek medical attention.
The employee was unharmed, though.
Ryan Ehalt, a constable and spokesperson with the Saskatoon Police Service, cautioned others against following in the employee's footsteps.
"In this circumstance, things worked out," said Ehalt. "But we do not recommend this course of action. We want to ensure that people stay safe, and even though it turned out to be a fake firearm in this instance, who's to say that's not going to be real in the next one. "
The investigation into the attempted robbery is ongoing.