EVERETT, Wash. — Burglary suspects at an Everett pot shop were chased away by a neighbor using bear spray Monday morning.
The incident occurred shortly after 3 a.m. at Marijuanaclub99, located on Highway 99 at 12631 Evergreen Way. Owner Ryan Johnson said he got a call that the alarm went off and looked at the security cameras and saw multiple vehicles — one of which crashed into the building.
Johnson said a man who lives nearby ran to the store and sprayed bear repellent at the suspects, who then took off without any items. Significant structural damage was done to the store, though.
“It sounds like they ran their cars into each other and almost flipped one of them outside,” Johnson added.
Surveillance video shows three vehicles pull into the parking lot and one back into the store. Multiple suspects exit the vehicles and head for the store, then run back after the bear spray-wielding man approaches. Two of the vehicles collided on the way out of the parking lot, and the man is seen on video spraying a few of the suspects in the face.
He’s a great guy,” Johnson said. “I’m very grateful. He’ll get a reward for that. It’s amazing he could get out here and put a stop to it so quick.
Monday’s incident marked the first crash-and-grab attempt at the dispensary, Johnson said, but the shop has been robbed at gunpoint four or five times. Johnson said he hopes the shop will reopen in the next “day or two.”
“Until they change legislation, they’re going to keep doing it,” Johnson said. “There’s no real punishment behind it at this time.
“They’re going to put themselves in a bad situation. They’re going to end up dead, probably, because there’s a lot of owners that are sitting inside their shops that do have firearms. It’s a matter of time before they end up dead or in prison. They should probably think twice about what they’re doing.”