Sarnia police say two citizens ran down, disarmed and detained an alleged hardware-store thief Monday afternoon.
Police were called about a man who had just stolen items from a store on Quinn Drive at around 2:40 p.m. When officers arrived on scene, the two males citizens were detaining the suspect who had fled the store.
It's alleged the men chased down the suspect in the area of Exmouth Street by the Howard Watson Trail. When the suspect was confronted, he drew a knife, but fortunately the men giving chase disarmed the suspect and avoided any injury.
Police said the accused continued to resist police arrest before he was handcuffed and brought under control. The knife that was used was recovered, along with stolen property.
Police have charged Lee Donald Grant, 29, of Sarnia, with two counts of assault with a weapon, theft under $5,000, and possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000. The accused was being held for a bail hearing.
Police also included a message to the public at the bottom of Tuesday's report:
"We truly would like to thank the two individuals who assisted in apprehending this suspect. We would also like to advise the public to be mindful that these criminals may be in possession of weapons such as knives, screw drivers, and even guns. There is always that risk of harm and thus know your limitations and please be safe."
