Grande Prairie store clerk attacked with bear spray

GRANDE PRAIRIE, A.B. — Police are reminding people that pursuing suspects after they commit a crime is a dangerous, after a store clerk was assaulted with bear spray following a robbery in Grande Prairie.

The RCMP says the armed robbery took place at East Side Grocery on Thursday, March 10.

Around 9:50 p.m., the RCMP detachment in Grande Prairie received a report indicating that a male suspect entered the store wearing a mask and equipped with bear spray.

The man then fled the store on foot and ran into the side of a vehicle. He got up and continued running away toward Vista Village, as the clerk followed. When the clerk attempted to apprehend the suspect, the bear spray was deployed and he was sprayed in the face.

Police say a stolen bag of money was recovered following the collision, and the driver of the vehicle wasn’t harmed in the incident.

The suspect the RCMP is seeking is described as Aboriginal and six feet tall with a thin build. He was wearing a black mask, blue jeans and a black jacket with fur on the collar.

As RCMP continue investigating this incident, the public is asked to bring any information forward to them.