A store clerk was pepper sprayed after he tried to catch a shoplifter Wednesday night in Langley City.
Just before 10 p.m., a young man walked into a liquor store in the 20800 block of Fraser Highway. He tried to walk out again with a bottle of vodka, without paying for it.
A clerk chased the young man outside, where a second man, waiting for the thief, pepper sprayed the clerk, said Cpl. Holly Marks, spokesperson for the Langley RCMP.
The two suspects then escaped while the clerk was in pain.
Langley Mounties, the police dog service, and ambulance paramedics all attended. The victim was given medical assistance at the scene and didn’t need to go to the hospital.
The dog service was unable to track down the suspects from the point of the attack, Marks said.
The first suspect, who lifted the bottle of vodka from the store, is described as a Caucasian man about 19 years old, skinny, about six feet tall, with short dirty blond hair and acne. He was wearing a black hoodie, black track pants, and a long sleeved white shirt.
The second man was dressed in black, including a hoodie and ballcap, and had his face covered, Marks said.
Anyone who has information on the identity of the thieves can contact the Langley RCMP at 604-532-3200, or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).