High Noon style

Two men draw guns on each other in supermarket scuffle

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Two men pulled out multiple weapons during a scuffle at a Lacey grocery store over a suspect’s alleged theft attempt.

Lacey police arrested James Aaron Sweeney, 40, on March 21 after a reported disturbance at the Fred Meyer store on Sleater Kinney Road.

A 57-year-old man who got into an altercation with Sweeney told police that he was a regular Fred Meyer shopper and was walking through the store when he saw the suspect stomping on boxes used to store high-value items.

The man said he believed that Sweeney was going to steal the goods and told the suspect to stop, at which point the two men yelled at each other and Sweeney drew his fist back in what appeared to be a punching motion.

Fearing that he was going to get hit, the shopper said, he pepper-sprayed Sweeney in the face, prompting the suspect to pull out a flare gun and point it at him.

The man said he had a concealed pistol license and was carrying a firearm, which he brought out and pointed at Sweeney. The suspect then put his flare gun away and walked out of the store, the customer said.

Four witnesses, including two store employees, recounted seeing or hearing a physical altercation between two men inside the establishment.

After the fight, said one witness in a police statement, Sweeney “tried to approach the [other] man again and grabbed a small table that was nearby and attempted to throw it, but then threw it to the ground.”

Sweeney told police that the shopper pepper-sprayed him for no reason and denied stomping on the containers, stating that he intended to purchase the contraceptives he was holding, but admitted to pulling a flare gun on the other man.

Police noted that Sweeney “appeared to have been sprayed in the face with pepper spray” due to the orange substance on his face and mucus coming from his nose and mouth.

The suspect was booked at the Thurston County Jail for second-degree assault. Store management told police they did not want to pursue attempted theft charges against Sweeney.

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  • AugieH

    So why wouldn't/shouldn't the store pursue attempted theft charges against Sweeney? If that's the store's position on such incidents, perhaps it deserves to be robbed blind. What is wrong with our little piece of the world?

    Thursday, April 7, 2022 Report this

  • AugieH

    Kudos to the shopper who was acting as a good citizen and store customer for stopping what he perceived as an attempted theft! I doubt that store management thanked him.

    Thursday, April 7, 2022 Report this

  • johngreen

    So glad our "gun laws" are working.

    Thursday, April 7, 2022 Report this

  • staynavytom

    Why does the store get the decision to file charges? That should be automatic. If a law is broken and there is enough evidence to charge the person, why are they let loose because the store doesn't want to press charges? I confronted a person walking around this same store with a pistol on his belt asking him if he was a cowboy or something. I also got the store manager and pointed him to the gun totter. Manage shrugged his shoulders and said it was store policy to have open carry. So I set my bag of groceries down on the floor at his feet and told him to open carry those back to the shelves. I don't shop there any more.

    Thursday, April 7, 2022 Report this

  • Cobbnaustic

    James Aaron Sweeney - Registered *** Offender or Kidnapper

    Offense or Statute

    Offense/Statute:9a.44.086 - Child Molestation In The Second Degree View This StatuteDate Convicted:25 March 2016Offense/Statute:9a.44.086 - Child Molestation In The Second Degree View This StatuteDate Convicted:25 March 2016

    Thursday, April 14, 2022 Report this

  • Cobbnaustic

    @ staynavytom its the law, it doesn't matter if you like it or not. Its not your decision.

    Thursday, April 14, 2022 Report this