In the early hours of a cold Monday morning, an attempted robbery at Marijuanaclub99, an Everett pot shop, was foiled when a neighbor intervened, deploying bear spray against the suspects. KOMO News reported that multiple vehicles, including at least one that was rammed into the dispensary, were involved in the incident which occurred on Highway 99 at 12631 Evergreen Way.
The dramatic scene unfolded around 3 a.m. when the shop owner, Ryan Johnson, received an alert and subsequently watched on the security feed as the attempted burglary took place. According to accounts obtained by KIRO 7, a bystander observed the suspects as they drove a stolen car into the side of the building and promptly bear-sprayed them within the vehicle.
"It all went down in minutes," a person with the potshop described to KIRO 7, noting the suspects' hasty retreat, leaving empty-handed due to the swift intervention. The establishment, however, was not spared from destruction, with the building pushed backwards from the impact, and the aftermath captured in surveillance footage showing the bear spray-wielding hero confronting the burglars. Despite the chaos, significant structural damage was the foremost immediate consequence, rather than theft.
Caught in the act by the unexpected act of defense, the suspects collided their getaway vehicles as they fled the scene. "He's a great guy," Johnson told KOMO News regarding the bear spray-wielding neighbor. "I'm very grateful. He'll get a reward for that. It's amazing he could get out here and put a stop to it so quick." Snohomish County Sheriff's Office has confirmed that vehicles involved are believed to be stolen, and while two have been recovered, no arrests have been made so far.
Amidst a string of previous armed robberies, Johnson expressed concern over the perpetrators' fate if current trends continue. "They're going to put themselves in a bad situation. They're going to end up dead, probably, because there's a lot of owners that are sitting inside their shops that do have firearms," he warned in a statement obtained by KOMO News. Marijuanaclub99, shaken by the event but resilient, is expected to reopen shortly despite the call for legislative reform to curb such daring criminal enterprises.
