Police are searching for a man who allegedly brandished a knife and threatened staff at a café in New Westminster.
According to the New Westminster Police Department (NWPD), officers were called to a coffee shop at Columbia Square Plaza.
The incident took place at approximately 3 pm on November 22. While the NWPD statement didn’t reveal which coffee shop the incident took place at, Starbucks is the only coffee shop in the plaza. Daily Hive has reached out to the NWPD for confirmation.
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In a statement, the NWPD suggests that café staff asked the suspect to leave after they discovered that he was using drugs in the washroom. The suspect then brandished a knife and threatened café employees.
The suspect fled the area before police arrived on the scene. Officers then searched the area for a suspect who matched the description provided by staff.
NWPD describe the suspect as a Caucasian male, 5’7″ tall, somewhere in his late twenties, with a heavy build, a dark face mask, and a green puffy jacket. Officers are attempting to gain access to CCTV footage of the incident.
“This employee was just trying to do their job,” said NWPD Sergeant Kumar in a statement.
“It’s appalling that staff were subjected to this type of abuse and it’s extremely fortunate that no one was seriously injured.”
Just last week, a separate incident occurred at a coffee shop in New Westminster. A man walked into the Blenz on Columbia Street, bleeding heavily. He later died from his injuries.
The NWPD has been quite busy in recent weeks.
A very busy weekend for @NewWestPD. In addition to our 5th homicide of the year (two suspects arrested and charged with 2nd degree murder), patrol officers responded to a number of calls of note:
— Paul Hyland (@DCCPaulHyland) November 23, 2021
Anyone who might have more information about the Columbia Street Plaza incident is being asked to contact the NWPD at 604-525-5411.
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