Pharmacist thrown to the ground, assaulted during robbery
Fora Rahmati is stepping up her pharmacy's security system following a terrifying robbery last week.
The Newmarket pharmacist says she was closing for the night when she was assaulted and thrown to the ground by two men who demanded drugs and cash.
"He was bent on me, yelling, "Where is your safe? Where is your narcotics?" she recalled. "They walked me toward the till. I opened the till, they took the money, and they fled."
The suspects, dressed in black, were in and out within minutes.
Jen Belcher with the Ontario Pharmacists Association says there are reports of these violent, brazen pharmacy robberies happening across the province.
"We've seen four times previous levels as per 2021 - that would be in the Toronto area," she noted.
"Pharmacy robberies apparently in our region, York Region is up about 230 per cent compared to last year," Rahmati said.
She added the police were able to get a licence plate for the suspect vehicle but said it was likely stolen.
"This is frightening, so you always think I'm the next person that is getting that gun to her head. It could be me," she said.
Police seek witnesses who may have noticed anything unusual at the Optimum Pharmacy on Davis Drive pharmacy on Nov. 28.
"Often these are happening when businesses are open, so we do suspect there might be people in the parking lots," said York Regional Police Const. Laura Nicolle. "We're encouraging them to contact us."
The Ontario Pharmacy Association said it's working with the College of Pharmacists to deter would-be thieves, including considering making time-delayed safes mandatory.
The association says the opioid crisis has added to the rise in robberies. Pharmacists like Rahmati said they need more protection.
"I don't think I'll be ever able to work by myself at my own pharmacy because of that fear, because of that trauma," she concluded.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.