Suspect flees after pepper spraying employees at Henrico business
HENRICO, Va. (WWBT) - The Henrico Police Department is searching for the person who pepper sprayed employees at a business Tuesday morning.
“Then just suddenly I hear him scream my name and then a loud booming coming from the door, he’s rushing towards me,” Country Style Donuts head baker Alexander Tucker said.
In his six years of working at Country Style Donuts in Henrico, Tucker said he’s never experienced anything like this.
“He just got up, rushed towards him and before I even had a chance to at least do anything, he already had me peppered sprayed and immobilized,” Tucker said.
In surveillance video taken just before 9 a.m. Tuesday, a man is seen walking up to the counter and pepper-spraying the employee multiple times before walking into a back room where he then sprayed Tucker.
“We would just urge the community to be on the lookout for anyone suspicious, and we are here and take suspicious person calls, so if something seems out of the ordinary that they would notify us of that,” Henrico Police Lt. Amy Kelley said.
Lt. Kelley said this is not something they see all the time but said the community should always be alert. She said the suspect did not demand money or any other items and left shortly after.
Owner Nader Nassereddine said being kind is a motto for them.
“My employees are like family to me and we don’t enjoy seeing any of them have anything happen to them, especially something that causes bodily harm, so I was really upset,” Nassereddine said.
This family, is a little shaken up, but thankful it wasn’t anything more than pepper spray.
“It is a little bit of a regret that we couldn’t stop him, but at the same time it’s still the best-case scenario because nothing really terrible happened. No one lost their lives, nothing was stolen.” Tucker said.
Both employees are doing OK.
WATCH THE INCIDENT:
Anyone with information is asked to call Henrico Police at 804-501-5000 or Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000.
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