CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — A man was injured trying to stop a would-be shoplifter in a Loop Target store Saturday morning, according to Chicago police.
Authorities said it happened shortly after 9:00 a.m. at the Target at 1 S. State St., when a 25-year-old man — a Target employee — confronted another man he believed was stealing.
The suspected shoplifter pulled a knife from his waistband and swung at the man before fleeing the store.
CPD said the 25-year-old was cut and taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in good condition.
Officers located and arrested the suspected shoplifter, and police said charges were pending.
The company said it was grateful the employee's injuries were not life-threatening but said the "unfortunate incident" was part of an increase in theft impacting retailers.
Following Saturday's attack, the store closed down for the day. It returned to normal operating hours on Sunday.
"Our stores create jobs, serve local shoppers and act as critical hubs in communities across the country, and we will continue to do everything in our power to ensure the safety of our stores and keep our doors open," the company said in a statement.
Retail theft has been rising over the last three years in the downtown 42nd Ward, where the Target store is located. But reports of retail theft are still below their pre-pandemic level, according to public crime statistics.
There were 1,773 reports of retail theft in the 42nd Ward in 2022, increasing from around 1,100 in 2021 and a little over 900 in 2020. In 2019, the ward saw 2,263 reports of retail theft.
(The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.)
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