Store Owners Charged After Allegedly Chasing Down And Beating Fleeing Accused Shoplifter

It’s the scourge of all businesses in the city – shoplifting. But Toronto Police allege one group of store owners took their fight against the light fingered lifting a little too far.

It happened on Saturday afternoon, when police responded to a call in the Dundas and Spadina area around 1:30pm. David Chen, owner of Lucky Moose Food Mart, thought he saw a man shoplifting some merchandise, so he went to confront him. The alleged thief, who Chen claims has stolen from him in the past, wasn’t about to stick around for questioning and fled on foot.

That’s when Chen, his brother, and nephew, started chasing the man.

When he finally caught up to him, Chen claims the suspect punched him, and in an attempt to detain him until police arrived, he tied the man up and threw him in the back of a van owned by the business. 

“I get him, he punched me, so I can’t hold him, so I (found) string to tie his hand and feet.  I wanted him charged.” Chen explained

Chen says he was driving the man back to the store where he was planning on calling police, but cops were already waiting.  Apparently someone had the seen the incident go down and called 911.

It may be the accused shoplifter who started the chase, but cops have charged the trio, ages 21, 35 and 40, with assault, kidnapping, forcible confinement and carrying concealed weapon charges.  Chen says the so-called ‘concealed weapons’ were boxcutters used to open produce.

And in an irony lost on few, police tell CityNews.ca the man originally accused of shoplifting is facing theft under $500 – an accusation far less serious than the one his alleged pursuers are facing.

To make matters worse, the theft suspect was out of custody long before the three storeowners, who spent 24 hours behind bars before gathering up $22,000 in bail cash.

“Under the law they may have a legal right to affect an arrest, however, there are certain ramifications,” notes PC Ben Eng.

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