Witnesses thought man had gun in U-Village robbery

A man was arrested after a reported robbery near the University Village on Tuesday, said the Seattle Police Department.

Police responded to a robbery at gunpoint at 4:30 p.m. in the 3000 block of Northeast 45th Street.

Police spoke with a 41-year-old loss prevention employee of a local grocery store who believed he was threatened with a gun.

The employee said he saw a man hide merchandise and try to leave the store without paying.

The employee said the 33-year-old man tried to shoplift more than $70 dollars’ worth of merchandise. The employee then confronted the man and asked him to return the stolen items.

When the man refused, the employee tried to get the merchandise back. During the confrontation, the man implied he had a gun.

A nearby witness, selling Girl Scout cookies with her daughter, said she thought the man had a gun. She told police she immediately grabbed her daughter and ran for safety.

Officers recovered a gun-shaped lighter from the scene.

Officers checked the area and found the man.

The man was arrested for robbery and booked into King County Jail.