Just before noon on Tuesday, Missoula Police Officers responded to the report of a robbery that had just occurred at the Albertsons on Broadway. An employee observed a male grab two sandwiches and walk to the beer isle. Once at the beer isle, the male opened his backpack, placed the sandwiches inside and then grabbed seven Mike’s Hard Lemonade cans from the cold case, which he also placed in his backpack. Police Public Information Officer Travis Welsh explains.

“The officer spoke to an employee who said that a man had come in who they recognized as being 25-year-old Leonard Edmo and that they had observed Edmo concealing items in a backpack before attempting to leave the store without paying for them,” Welsh said. “The employee recognized Edmo from previous history where they had had contact with him in the store and they were able to identify him to investigating officers.”

According to the employee, they had had contact with Edmo 30 to 50 previous times. The employee informed Edmo that he had observed him place the items in his bag and informed Edmo that he would need to remove them. Edmo then shoved the employee out of his way and Edmo ran towards the east exit of the building.

“He was confronted there by another employee who briefly struggled with Edmo,” Welsh said. “He was able to relieve Edmo of his backpack before Edmo left the store on foot and fled the area. At about 2:50 in the afternoon, an officer spotted Edmo walking on the street in the 1100 block of West Broadway. He recognized Edmo from previous contacts and was aware of the incident that had occurred just a couple hours earlier.”

Edmo was placed under arrest and while in route to the jail, repeatedly kicked the window of the officer’s patrol car and made continuous threats.

Court documents indicate Edmo broke the other employee’s watch, grabbed the employee’s shirt while pulling him to the ground, and caused the employee’s shirt to tear.

The employee reported a small cut on the outside of his wrist. He also said that when Edmo was attempting to break free, Edmo caused him to hit his arm on a rock pillar, causing pain.

Edmo was charged with felony robbery and obstructing a peace officer.

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