A man armed with a shotgun attempted to rob the Kersley General Store last week, but police say he was “kindly escorted out of the store by staff.”
On Dec. 11 at approximately 4:54 p.m., a man entered the Kersley General Store with a shotgun.
“The man demanded money from the staff member but was politely told that he could not have money and was then escorted from the store,” according to a press release from the Quesnel RCMP. “The man complied and left without incident.”
The suspect was described as stocky and 5’10” tall, wearing a brown jacket, black pants and a toque that partially covered his face. He departed south on Highway 97 in a vehicle that was parked nearby, according to police.
“The staff member took a courageous stand against this robber; however, it would be the recommendation of the police for employees to comply with the demands during an armed robbery,” Sgt. Richard Weseen said in the release. “Whether it is cash or property that the would-be thief if attempting to steal, it is not worth your safety, or possibly your life, to take a stand.”
Approximately one hour after the attempted robbery in Kersley, the McLeese Lake General Store, about 54 kilometres away, was robbed by a man who produced a shotgun.
“Both events are believed to be connected and the investigations are still ongoing,” according to the release.
According to the Williams Lake RCMP, a suspect armed with a gun entered the McLeese Lake General Store at roughly 6 p.m. and demanded all the cash from the till and lottery tickets.
The suspect is described as being five-foot-10 to six-feet tall and Caucasian with a stocky build, blue eyes and wearing a dark grey or black balaclava with only eyes showing and a black hoodie.
“The Williams Lake RCMP can confirm that no one was injured during the incident,” said Williams Lake RCMP Const. Joel Kooger. “There is no other information to release at this time as the investigation is still ongoing.”
If anyone has any information regarding these incidents, please call the Quesnel RCMP at 250-992-9211 or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
— with a file from the Williams Lake Tribune