Pepper spray, flare gun, gun: How a confrontation escalated at Lacey Fred Meyer
A confrontation Monday afternoon at the Lacey Fred Meyer escalated from pepper spray to flare gun to gun, police say.
Lacey police were dispatched to the store about 1 p.m., Sgt. Shannon Barnes said. Once there, they learned a 57-year-old man at the store had confronted a 40-year-old man who was shoplifting, Barnes said.
When the older man confronted him, the younger man threatened to assault him.
That prompted the older man to pull out his pepper spray and spray him, which led the younger man to pull out a flare gun. Finally, the older man pulled out a handgun and the younger man left the store.
The shoplifting suspect was ultimately arrested on suspicion of second-degree assault for pointing the flare gun at the man, she said.
Barnes said the older man had a valid concealed pistol license.
Lacey police recommend that any resident who witnesses a crime to first call 911 or alert store security before becoming personally involved.
This story was originally published March 21, 2022 at 4:30 PM.
