ROCHESTER, Minn. – A Rochester man was charged with shoplifting sunglasses from a convenience store and moments later threatening a pursuing store clerk with a knife – as well as three kids from whom he was stealing a backpack. Damien Rose, 21, was charge with both felony and misdemeanor counts. The incidents were September 19 starting about 5:30 p.m. at the Apollo Superette at 11th Avenue and Fourth Street. Southeast. This is how police reconstructed what happened:
> A clerk saw Rose try on sunglasses and walk out of the store without paying.
> The clerk gave chase in his car.
> The clerk spotted Rose on his bicycle a few blocks away taking a backpack from three kids.
> Confronted by the clerk, Rose abandoned the backpack and told the clerk to stop following him, and pulled a knife and threatened the clerk.
> Rose then dropped the backpack and pedaled off.
> Rose circled back and threatened to slit the kids’ throats.
> The kids fled home and locked the doors.
Two days later, based on surveillance video from the Apollo Superette, police spotted Rose walking by their squad car and arrested him. He wasn’t wearing sunglasses anymore.