Attendant stabbed

A gas station attendant was sent to hospital Monday with a minor knife wound after being jumped in an early morning robbery.

Police spokesman Chris Adams said an undisclosed amount of cash was taken in the armed theft, which occurred at about 7:30 a.m. at the Suny’s Gas Bar at the corner of Balsalm Street and Wardrope Avenue.

“This individual came into the store and it’s alleged that he jumped the attendant from behind and there was a bit of a scuffle. Unfortunately the attendant was injured in that scuffle. He had to be transported to hospital for a minor injury,” Adams said.

“It was obviously a very scary, very frightening thing for this individual, for the clerk who was working. Fortunately his injuries were minor, but it’s very much a concern.”

Alarming to police was the time of day and the location, a busy intersection during the start of Thunder Bay’s rush-hour commute.

“That certainly is a time when people are driving to work and that intersection certainly has its fair share of traffic. Of course trying to understand the motivation for why someone would do that at that time of day, that’s hard to say. But it’s certainly an unusual time of day for that kind of incident,” Adams said.

After the robbery the suspect left the store and fled westward down Wardrope Avenue with a female.

A search of the area ensured, but results were negative.

The alleged suspect is described as a Native Canadian male standing about 6-foot-2. He was wearing dark clothes and a black bandana over his face.

Anyone with any information is asked to call Thunder Bay Police Service’s criminal investigation branch or Crimestoppers.