Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes was reportedly having lunch at a nearby place when four suspects robbed a jewelry store and made away with an estimated $2 million in valuables.
Per Fox News, the August 14 incident happened at Menashe & Sons Jewelers in West Seattle in broad daylight, and the masked suspects stole diamonds, gold and luxury watches. The suspected robbers threatened the jewelry store’s employees with bear spray and a stun gun.
A video of the robbery shows the suspects shattering the store’s display cases before stealing the expensive items. A police source told The Jason Rantz Show on Seattle Red 770 AM that during the robbery, Barnes was said to be having lunch at a location not far from the jewelry store. The spokesperson, however, did not disclose the exact location where Barnes was during the heist.
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“Chief Barnes and his security detail were at a nearby business when the robbery occurred,” the spokesperson said. “They were inside the business and were unaware of the crime unfolding.”
“The suspects were in and out of the jewelry store in exactly 90 seconds,” the spokesperson continued. “His security detail was in plain clothes at the time of the robbery.”
The spokesperson also said that Barnes and his detail got to know about the robbery after police arrived at the scene with lights and sirens on their vehicles activated.
“We’re pretty shook up as a staff,” Josh Menashe, vice president of the store, said. “We’re gonna be closed for a while.”
An individual who manages a nearby gym told FOX 13 that the jewelry store workers came to the gym for help after they fled through the back. He also said the robbery caused “a lot of shock and surprise,” adding that the gym was locked until police responded to the scene.
Police did not encounter the suspects upon arrival as they had already fled in a getaway car. Authorities are yet to make arrests.
