RCMP in Burnaby, B.C., have released a brief video clip in an attempt to identify a man accused of deploying bear spray in a local business last month.
The incident is alleged to have taken place on Jan. 24 at a Langara Mechanical Plumbing and Heating on Randolph Avenue near Kingsway.
According to police, an employee went out to speak with someone in a vehicle parked outside they believed was suspicious.
“After a short confrontation, the suspect entered the store … bear spraying two people before leaving the area,” RCMP said in a media release.
Get daily BC news
“Both victims required medical attention but were not seriously injured.”
Scott Redlac, who owns the business, told Global News in a previous interview he was “fed up” with escalating crime in the area.
“My employees should not have to be scared to come here,” Redlac said. “How are we supposed to operate a proper business with these guys here 24/7?”
Redlac said he believed the confrontation happened because he’d taken a photo of the suspect earlier in the day, who he alleged was in the middle of a drug deal, adding he believed the escalating crime in the neighbourhood was linked to a specific nearby house.
Police say the suspect in the bear spray incident was driving a Honda Pilot that investigators later discovered was stolen.
Anyone who recognizes the suspect is asked to contact Burnaby RCMP at 604-646-9999.