Rocky Mountain House RCMP have laid charges in relation to an armed robbery at a business west of town on Monday evening.
Police said two masked men entered the business at about 7 p.m. and bear sprayed an employee. They then took several bottles of liquor before fleeing in a silver Jeep Liberty northbound towards Highway 11.
The employee suffered non-life threatening injuries and was treated at the scene by EMS, RCMP said.
RCMP later located the suspect vehicle travelling on O’Chiese First Nations Main Road. Patrol officers tried to pull it over, but the suspects led police on a brief pursuit before driving into a ditch.
Two men were taken into custody with the assistance of an RCMP police dog.
Francis Xavier Maurice, 27, from Red Deer is facing seven charges including assault with weapon, possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000 and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
He was remanded into custody and is scheduled to appear in Rocky Mountain House provincial court on May 16.
Farron Cory Rowan, 30, from Sunchild First Nation is facing five charges including assault with weapon, possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000 and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
He was remanded into custody and is scheduled to appear in Rocky Mountain House provincial court May 23.