Window Washer Gives Chase

An employee of G4S (left) possibly the guard that was pepper sprayed and robbed outside Century Casino, 13103 Fort Road, chats with an unidentified person after the robbery of the pictured G4S security vehicle.

Armoured truck employee pepper-sprayed in robbery outside Century Casino: A brazen masked thief brandishing pepper spray attacked and robbed an armoured truck employee Thursday afternoon outside the front doors of Century Casino in northeast Edmonton. The robber, who left behind a dark blue duffel bag and can of pepper spray, jumped into a running black Jeep driven by an accomplice and fled with an undisclosed amount of cash moments after the 1:55 p.m. heist at Fort Road and 131st Avenue.

Police said two workers of G4S armoured truck company were at the casino to collect a package. A window washer, who didn’t to give his name, witnessed the robbery. He said the guards were conducting a “routine delivery” when a stocky man in a black hoodie ran up and sprayed a guard from a couple of feet away. The driver dropped the bag and the robber scooped it up. It looked like a “pro job,” and took only half a minute, the window washer said. “It happened in the blink of an eye. The guard got pepper sprayed by a big guy, I actually chased him but I didn’t want to risk my life.”

The window washer and the second armoured truck worker gave chase, as a Jeep pulled a U-turn and the robber jumped in. The vehicle sped from the parking lot, nearly hitting a pedestrian. “What’s going through your mind is, ‘does this guy have a gun or a knife?’ the window washer said. “You have one life, there’s always more money.”

Det. Ron Gamble said from “my perspective, anybody who does a crime of this nature is pretty brazen. It puts people at risk; it puts people at risk on the road trying to evade the getaway vehicle.” Police said the robbers later switched vehicles and were last seen in a white sport utility vehicle on 66th Street. The Jeep was recovered and police are searching it for evidence. Police will interview the armoured truck employee who suffered minor injuries during the robbery, Gamble said. The robber, who was dressed in black, was about six-foot-two, 200 pounds.

Casino spokesman Dan Keene said the company will evaluate its security. He wouldn’t comment about surveillance cameras, other than saying “we’re like a lot of other casinos.” Keene said he couldn’t remember a similar robbery in the city. “I’ve been here almost five years now and it’s never happened. I can’t recall it ever happening in Edmonton as long as I’ve been in this business.”

A window washer who witnessed the robbery, but didn't want to be identified, says he was shocked by what he saw. "It's like, 'Holy Christ! This is happening, this isnt' a movie. It takes a second to realize what was going on," said the witness, who tried chasing down the suspect. "Part of you is 'do the right thing.' If the guard, if enough of us had tackled him we could've perhaps subdued him, but I'm not going to take him on myself." After fleeing the scene, the robbers reportedly dumped their getaway car, and were reportedly seen getting into a white utility vehicle, possibly an Avalanche or Escalade, heading westbound on 66th Street.

A member of the Edmonton Police Service Identification unit with evidence outside Century Casino, 13103 Fort Road, after a robbery from the security vehicle.