On Saturday (April 21) at about 8:15 p.m., a female customer entered Big 5 Sporting Goods in Burien and got into an argument with the manager about a return. The suspect became angry, went behind the counter and assaulted the manager. Police say that employees finally got the suspect to leave, but as she was exiting the store she opened a can of Bear Spray and began spraying the employees and a few customers while yelling profanities. The suspect escaped in a vehicle and was not caught. Bear Spray includes the same active ingredient used in pepper spray – Capsaicin –  which is a chemical derived from the fruit of plants in the genus Capsicum, including chilis. According to the National Park Service:
Bear spray is a non-lethal deterrent designed to stop aggressive behavior in bears. Its use can reduce human injuries caused by bears and the number of bears killed by people in self-defense. Bear spray uses a fine cloud of Capsicum derivatives to temporarily reduce a bear’s ability to breath, see, and smell, giving you time to leave the area.This case is being investigated by Detectives so no more info will be provided at this time. Big 5 is located at 125 SW 148th Street: ]]>
