London police have charged a man accused of assaulting a loss prevention officer outside a south end grocery store over the weekend.
According to investigators, officers were called to a grocery store on Baseline Road East near Wharncliffe Road South at around 6 p.m. Sunday for an altercation involving a male suspect and a security worker.
During the incident, the accused is said to have exited the store with basket full of items without paying for them. As he headed north from the parking lot, a loss prevention officer confronted the suspect about the theft. The officer was allegedly assaulted with pepper spray before the man took off.
Store employees managed to retrieve the stolen items and police were called. After they were provided with a description of the suspect, officers made an arrest a short time later along Wharncliffe Road South.
The loss prevention officer did not sustain any physical injuries, police said.
A 36-year-old London man has since been charged with theft under $5,000 and assault with a weapon. He is scheduled to appear in court next month.
