Park Place Mall in Lethbridge evacuated after man discharged pepper spray

Lethbridge police are asking the public to help them find a man suspected of chasing another man with a knife along 1 Avenue South on Saturday afternoon.

They said the suspect was one of several men chasing a lone man, who police said was at one point pepper sprayed in the south entrance of Park Place Mall, resulting in the mall’s temporary closure.

The incident unfolded shortly after 5 p.m. and police said officers found the 26-year-old victim by the food court, suffering from the effects of bear spray. Witnesses told police the men chasing the victim fled the scene immediately after spraying him.

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Police said the victim had been at the mall with a group of friends when another group of people approached and the two sides exchanged words before going their separate ways.

According to police, when the victim and his friends left the mall, they saw the group they encountered earlier getting out of a gold or bronze SUV and approach them.

The mall was closed and evacuated while fire crews worked to make sure the building was safe for staff and shoppers to return and is expected to reopen sometime on Sunday.

The suspect police said was armed with a large knife, is described as being in his 20s and with an average build. He was wearing a grey hoodie and black pants and has acne on his face.

A picture of the suspect can be seen in the image below.

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Police are also looking for another man in his 20s who is described as being tall with a stocky build. He was wearing all black clothing with some red accents.

While a motive for the attack has yet to be determined, police said there is no evidence to suggest there is any risk to the public.

Lethbridge Police Service are working with the Blood Tribe Police Service to investigate.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 403-328-4444 or Crime Stoppers 1-800-222-8477.