A 56-year-old depanneur clerk is facing charges of armed assault after allegedly attacking a would-be robber Sunday night.
The incident happened around 9 p.m. at a depanneur on Lawrence Street in Greenfield Park.
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The clerk apparently suspected that a 28-year-old man had stolen something and followed him outside the store with a sharp object.
According to police, a bystander got involved in the confrontation to stop the situation from escalating.
“The bystander was lacerated with a minor cut to the face during the altercation,” said Longueuil police spokesperson Mélanie Marcil.
“They did not want to press charges on the store clerk.”
The clerk was released overnight on a promise to appear in court.
Chang Hong, co-owner of the depanneur, says people try to steal from the store all the time.
She claims in the past, when the store would catch people stealing, they would call police, but they were never able to do much to help.
Now, it’s become such a common occurrence that she doesn’t bother to call the authorities.
“After many times, I never call the police,” she told Global News.
Police warn that it’s never a good idea to take matters into your own hands.
“They shouldn’t do that,” said Marcil.
“They should call the police and we will arrest the suspect.”
The alleged robber remained in hospital Monday morning for psycho-evaluation tests and faces charges of theft.