UPDATE: Pot dispensary employee survives shootout, attempted robbery
UPDATE: 07/04/2016
An employee from the Riverside Cannabis Club confirmed this afternoon that the employee involved in last Saturday’s attempted robbery and shootout with several suspects survived his injuries but would provide no further information. The dispensary has remained opened for business since the incident.
The Riverside Cannabis club, where last Saturday’s shootout and attempted robbery occurred.
RVERSIDE – An employee from a medical marijuana dispensary was critically wounded when he exchanged gunfire with suspects who had entered the Riverside Cannabis Club dispensary with the intent of robbing the business. The attempted robbery and shooting occurred Saturday, June 25, at about 3:11 a.m., according to Riverside Police Sergeant Michael Cobb of the department’s Central Investigations Bureau.
Riverside Police Officers responded to the dispensary, located in the 7800 Block of Cypress Avenue, after City of Riverside emergency dispatchers received a 911 call regarding a shooting that had just occurred at the business.
Riverside Police officers arrived and located one employee suffering from multiple gunshot wounds at the location.
Paramedics treated the employee at the scene before they transported him to a local hospital with what Cobb described as “life-threatening injuries.”
“The preliminary investigation revealed an unknown number of armed suspects entered the business in an attempt to commit a robbery,” Cobb explained. “They were confronted by an employee of the business and gunfire was exchanged between the employee and the suspects.”
After the shootout, the suspects reportedly fled from the business in an unknown direction.
The attempted robbery and shootout in Riverside were similar to other recent incidents involving marijuana dispensaries, including one that occurred just two days before this incident, on Thursday, June 23 in San Bernardino. During that robbery, a security guard at a marijuana dispensary was shot in the face. He remains hospitalized in extremely critical condition.
Another similar incident occurred in San Jacinto on May 5, when several armed men robbed P.R.E.I., an illegal marijuana dispensary that had been operating out of a strip mall on San Jacinto Street. In that incident, the owner and two dogs were shot multiple times during the robbery.
The Riverside Police Department is asking for the public’s help and anyone with information is encouraged to contact Detective Dave Johansen at (951) 353-7243 or Detective Eric Meier at (951) 353-7242. Callers can refer to incident file number P16113563 and can remain anonymous.
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