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Police: Shoplifters Used Pepper Spray In Sheridan Target Store

SHERIDAN, Colo. (CBS4) - A Super Target store in Sheridan had to be evacuated Tuesday afternoon after a pepper spray incident.

Police said two security guards and another employee were sprayed during a shoplifting incident at the Target store located near Santa Fe and Hampden. All three were treated and released at the scene.

According to police a security guard witnessed a shoplifter and when the person was confronted another person ran up and sprayed the guard and two others with pepper spray to allow the suspect to escape.

"We believe some type of pepper spray that's used for self defense. It pretty much renders people incapacitated by using a type of pepper in their eyes and their throat and nose. So that's what happened to the security officers and they were treated for that type of injury," Sheridan Police Chief Mark Campbell said.

Shoplifting Suspect
An image of one of the suspects (credit: Sheridan Police Department)
Shoplifting Suspect
An image of one of the suspects (credit: Sheridan Police Department)
Suspect Car
An image of the car believed to be a maroon KIA sedan with Florida plate No. Z7AJZ (credit: Sheridan Police Department)

Police are searching for the shoplifter and two accomplices. Police said they fled in a maroon KIA sedan with Florida plate No. Z7AJZ. The suspects include two men and a woman.

Super Target Evacuation
An image of Target employees during the evacuation (credit: CBS)

No customers were injured in the incident and police believe the shoplifters left without anything. Some of the items they were trying to steal was an Xbox and video games. They left an electric guitar outside the store.

"We never had anything where it affected this many people; where they actually closed the store and evacuated the store personnel and the customers," Campbell said.

Phil Champagne with West Metro Fire told CBS4 that fans were brought in to vent the store. The fire department released the store to Target later Tuesday evening and the store reopened around 6 p.m.

Target Map
(credit: CBS)
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