Video shows shotgun pointed at staff during pawn shop robbery

WARNING: Pawn shop robbery in Winnipeg Surveillance video shows a Winnipeg pawn shop being robbed by four people carrying weapons on Nov. 11, 2024.

A Winnipeg pawn shop owner is speaking out after a violent robbery at his McPhillips Street location.

In his 25 years on the job, Pawn Traders owner Richard Doering told CTV News on Friday that he has never seen crime this bad.

"Having shotguns and machetes at a retail theft, that's another level," said Doering.

Doering shared security video with CTV News of the two-and-a-half-minute ordeal from Remembrance Day.

The video, from different angles, shows a customer standing at the front of the shop with a staff member. The suspects burst in, hop over the counter, one of them is pointing a shotgun at the employees, another has a machete.

"They pointed a shotgun and a machete at my two employees and says, 'Don't move or we're going to shoot,'" said Doering.

They appear to take cash from the front and while holding the staff at gunpoint, suspects go in the back and take more items. They then leave the pawn shop.

Doering said his staff are still shaken from the incident.

"One guy is on stress leave, obviously, and I don’t know if he'll ever come back," said Doering.

He is sharing the video and speaking out to show how dangerous the retail crime problem is getting.

"You got the Giant Tigers, the 7-Elevens, I mean those are just retail thefts run and grab but now we're into shotguns and machetes."

The robbery comes on the same week the NDP government announced its crime plan, which includes 12 new police officers to expand the retail theft initiative and make it permanent. The program sees officers patrol hot spots.

Doering thinks that will help, but he said tougher bail rules and sentences would send a stronger message.

"You're dealing with people's lives, not just merchandise now,” said Doering. “If they ever do get caught, they have to put a precedent to these guys. You use a gun you need to go away for 10 years, not one."

The NDP also released a bail plan earlier this year. It includes electronic monitoring, and $3 million for new police officers to go after offenders who violate bail conditions.