Olympia police arrest man accused of robbing Grocery Outlet on Saturday
A case of petty shoplifting at a Grocery Outlet turned into first-degree robbery when a 36-year-old man allegedly shoved an employee on Saturday, police say.
Olympia police booked the man into Thurston County jail Sunday evening. Lt. Paul Lower said the incident occurred at 2100 Harrison Ave. Northwest at around 8 p.m. on Saturday but the arrest occurred the next day around 10:30 p.m..
Lower said employees called 911 when the man entered the store because they recognized him from previous shoplifting incidents. He said the man collected about $50 worth of items and approached the front of the store.
When he got close, Lower alleges the man ran toward the exit and pushed an employee down. From there, he said the man jumped on bicycle and peddled away into the night.
The incident left the employee with a dislocated shoulder that required treatment at MultiCare Capital Medical Center, Lower said. No other people were injured, he added.
By allegedly harming the employee, Lower said the crime was escalated to first-degree robbery, a class A felony.
The next day, Lower said an officer on a routine patrol spotted the man by the Safeway on Harrison Ave. and arrested him without incident.
The man’s preliminary appearance in Thurston County Superior Court has been scheduled for Monday.
This story was originally published October 4, 2021 at 1:50 PM.
