A Licking man faces several felony charges after a Licking Police Department investigation of a robbery on Thursday, Nov. 30.
LPD Chief Pat Burton said that at about 8:20 p.m., an officer was dispatched to Casey’s General Store in reference to a report of a robbery. Two store employees reported a masked male, wearing a hood and black face paint, entered the store and pepper sprayed both employees before demanding the money from the cash register. The suspect then fled the store on foot, Burton said.
As the responding officer was arriving, he observed a man walking away from the store with visible black face paint, and was able to stop and detain him. While securing the suspect in restraints, the suspect made the spontaneous utterance of “let me apologize, I still got the money in my pocket and I still got the mace.”
While the officer attempted to search the suspect, he resisted arrest by repeatedly pulling away. Once responding Texas County deputies arrived, the officer was able to safely conduct the search of the suspect’s person and located a partial can of Saber Red Oleoresin Capsicum pepper spray (mace) and $337 in cash.
While securing the suspect in the patrol vehicle, he began to resist arrest again and kicked one of the Texas County deputies.
The suspect, Logan Venn, 22, of Licking, is being held at the Texas County Jail, pending formal charges. A probable cause statement was sent to the county prosecutor seeking charges of second-degree robbery, third-degree assault, assault of a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest for a felony.
“The Licking Police Department would like to thank the Texas County Sheriff’s Office and the Missouri State Highway Patrol for their assistance in this investigation,” Burton said.