Hanmer shop owner celebrated after thwarting robbery

Hundreds of thousands of people have viewed videos taken of the Friday night robbery attempt at the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre LCBO, which Mike Strickland thwarted

The owner of a Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre shop is being celebrated online for his efforts to thwart a Friday afternoon robbery attempt of the mall’s LCBO. Between Facebook and TikTok, video taken of the incident has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times. “I wasn’t expecting it,” Strickly Nostalgia owner Mike Strickland told Sudbury.com, adding that he didn’t even plan on acknowledging the incident on social media until his phone blew up the following morning.

Strickland’s compilation of video clips posted online is available by clicking here. There is strong language in the video, which as of the time of publication had received more than 347,000 views. Thousands of additional views have been racked up on TikTok and on other community Facebook pages people have posted the videos to.

The video Strickland shared shows suspects leaving the LCBO with bags of alcohol and masks covering their faces. Strickland detains the suspects as they leave and successfully retrieve some bottles while other bottles are seen smashed on the ground. The suspects both ended up leaving without any bottles, Strickland told Sudbury.com.

“Atta boy Mikey. Good stuff,” Luke Hanninen wrote in response to the video — one of many people to celebrate Strickland’s actions. “The fear in that kid’s eyes shows he’s not as tough as he thought,” Bob Bertrand wrote.

“Once they get the message that the ‘Community’ is not putting up with them anymore they will stop.” “If I witness someone stealing groceries? No, I didn’t,” Chelsea Roy wrote.

“Stealing booze, especially so brazenly? Good for you. Get some extra cameras on your store though in the event they’re stupid enough to try to retaliate or something.”

Some commenters took notice of the bucket hat and flip-flops Strickland wore during the interaction. The shopkeeper took note of the attention his accessories have gotten, and posted an image of them on his business’s Facebook page. “Official gear of Hanmer Mall security (if you know, you know) will be on display all day at Strickly Nostalgia,” he wrote.

In a follow-up video, he used the word “guy” a number of times, in

Source and reference

reference to what he said during the robbery attempt. During a video of the interaction, the suspects can be heard asking Strickland why he cares. After all, he’s not an LCBO employee or a Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre security officer. There’s a simple answer to why, he said; “community.” “I think the community’s had enough,” Strickland said, adding that robberies have become commonplace at the LCBO. “They’re so used to nobody caring. ... I care about this little mall, here.” Strickland is trained in restraint techniques from his time working with troubled youths in group homes, which he said he used during the interaction. As for people making something of the apparent race of the suspects, Strickland was quick to nip that in the bud on his business’s Facebook page by clarifying, “We don’t condone any racist behaviour here at the shop.” This is a message Strickland said he wants to...

Read original source

Why this matters locally

This crime story matters locally because it may affect readers, businesses, commuters, families, or public services in British Columbia.

Local impact

BC Post links this item to British Columbia coverage so readers can follow related city updates, weather, traffic, events, and category news in one place.

Timeline