Nanaimo RCMP officers were in “the right spot at the right time” when they arrested a violent shoplifter at the Canadian Tire on Uplands Drive this past Saturday.
Shortly after 3 p.m. on Saturday, February 13th, the 36-year-old shoplifter had threatened to stab store employees with a knife.
In a media release, RCMP say officers with the Street Crimes Unit happened to be driving by the store when they heard a broadcast regarding a shoplifter waving a knife at employees when they tried to stop him from leaving.
The officers learned that the suspect was walking away from the store and was being followed by several Canadian Tire employees, who were providing real-time updates on their location.
The employees maintained a safe distance from the suspect and did not try to stop the shoplifter
Less than one minute later, the officers spotted the suspect near the intersection of Uplands Drive and Oliver Road.
The officers arrested him, and during a search, they found two folding knives in his pants pockets, along with a small amount of suspected fentanyl and heroin.
Also found was a mall bottle of bonding agent, allegedly stolen from Canadian Tire.
Upon his arrest, the suspect provided a false name to the officers as well as identification for another person and was subsequently arrested for obstruction.
Jackson Filgate was later released from police custody with his next court appearance set for March 2nd, in Nanaimo Provincial court.
Filgate faces charges of Theft Under $5000, Possession of Stolen Property under $5000, Uttering Threats, Possessing a Controlled Substance, and Obstruction.
“The employees of Canadian Tire handled a volatile situation the best they could. Without getting too close to the suspect, they followed from a safe distance and provided current information to police dispatch. This allowed the officers to quickly find them and the suspect, and safely take control of the situation”. said Constable Gary O’Brien of the Nanaimo RCMP.
