Bellingham store employee injured with scissors after confronting thief, police say
A man was arrested Saturday in Bellingham for allegedly injuring a store employee with scissors after being confronted about suspected shoplifting.
Christopher Michael Rosa, 46, was stopped by police at about 2 p.m. July 29 after officers responded to a report about an alleged assault at a store on the 3300 block of Airport Drive in north Bellingham, according to Bellingham Police Lt. Claudia Murphy.
Rosa had apparently been seen stealing items from the unnamed store almost every day, according to a police investigation. On Saturday, a store employee confronted Rosa about the thefts and told him to leave the store. Rosa allegedly refused to leave and engaged in a physical confrontation with the store employee, Murphy told The Bellingham Herald.
Rosa pulled out a large pair of scissors and started to swing them at the employee that confronted him, several other store employees and some bystanders. The employee who confronted Rosa used a wooden baton to defend himself, according to Murphy.
The employee who confronted Rosa was struck in the nose with the scissors, causing a small cut. Rosa also punched the employee several times, causing abrasions and soreness to his arms and cheek, Murphy told The Herald.
Rosa then stole the employee’s wooden baton and fled the store on foot. He was stopped on W. Bakerview Road by responding officers, Murphy said.
Rosa allegedly refused to follow officers’ instructions to get on the ground and be taken into custody so officers “used leverage to get him to the ground to get him cuffed safely,” according to Murphy.
Rosa had the wooden baton and scissors in his possession when he was detained and arrested, Murphy said.
Rosa was arrested for first-degree robbery, second-degree assault and resisting arrest. He was booked into the Whatcom County Jail where he remains without bail, according to jail records.
