On August 24, 2022, at 6:29 pm, Powell River RCMP attended a 911 call at the Shell Gas Station, located at 4799 Joyce Avenue, for an armed robbery.
Information provided to police was that a male had entered the gas station and proceeded to walk around the store with a knife. The suspect approached a female customer standing in line for the cashier and gestured to her to leave the store using the knife in his hand. There was a second customer in the store, a male who paid for his purchase and departed.
The suspect approached the cashier with the knife and demanded lottery tickets. The cashier did not give the tickets to the suspect, and the suspect then walked around the counter near the cashier and demanded the money from the cash register.
The suspect threatened the employee with the knife, gesturing that he was going to stab the employee. Another employee entered the store and interrupted the robbery in progress.
The suspect was identified by police through video surveillance as Blake Anthony Irwin, 39 years old, of Powell River.
Irwin was arrested a short time later near his residence. He was held in custody and information was sworn approving charges of robbery, possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose and failing to comply with a probation order.
On August 25, 2022, Blake Irwin appeared via tele bail and was released by a provincial court justice on a release order to appear in Powell River Provincial Court on September 20, 2022.
Police are seeking to identify and speak with the two customers inside the gas station during the time Irwin was walking around the store with the knife, or any other individuals who may have witnessed anything.
Witnesses are asked to contact the Powell River RCMP detachment at 604.485.6255. Police file number is 2022-4066.
