A 75-year-old Olympia resident fired his gun into the air during a robbery at Capital Mall Friday night, according to police.
Although the man had the proper paperwork to carry a concealed weapon, police ask that residents not take the law into their own hands, Lt. Paul Lower said.
“That is super dangerous,” he said, adding that the gun was fired in a busy area of the city. “The bullet is going to come down somewhere. We discourage this.”
About 7 p.m. Friday, police were dispatched to Macy’s at Capital Mall after a 23-year-old man had gathered about $1,700 in clothes, then tried to forcefully exit the business.
A loss prevention officer for the store met the suspect at the door, Lower said. The man allegedly shoved the door into the woman, who then reached out to him. Then the suspect allegedly lowered his shoulder and knocked her back, he said.
The 75-year-old man saw this and chased after him, firing one round in the air to get him to stop. The 23-year-old man later ran into a nearby Outback Steakhouse restaurant and tried to hide in a booth, although staff pointed him out to police.
He was arrested on suspicion of second-degree robbery. The 75-year-old man stayed at the scene and waited for police.
Lower said they are going to refer the firing of the gun to the Thurston County Prosecutor’s Office to see whether the man should face charges.
