Two felony charges for Olympia man accused of shoving a retail employee

A 37-year-old Olympia man was arrested on two felonies last Thu., Oct. 7, after he allegedly shoved a grocery store employee as he attempted to steal cigarettes from a local grocery store.

The cashier told Olympia police that the suspect, who was identified as Gabriel Adam Johnson, approached the counter and asked for 10 packs of cigarettes.

After taking out the five packs that they had in stock, the cashier said, he placed them on the counter. The suspect then began grabbing them and managed to take three cigarette packs.

Johnson pushed the cashier “hard” when he tried to take back the cigarette packs then tried to climb over the door to the cash register area, according to the police report. The cashier then called the police.

The suspect threw one pack of cigarettes back at the cashier and fled the grocery store with two packs each valued at $10.79 after other employees and witnesses began shouting at him.

A witness stated that he heard shouting in the grocery store and saw Johnson assaulting the cashier. The same witness pointed Johnson to authorities as the suspect attempted to flee from responding police officers by running across the street.

The cashier later informed police that Johnson stole cigarettes from the store in a similar manner in July this year.

A document dated July 30 that recorded the incident stated that Johnson “stole cigarettes from check stand #5. If seen in store, call management to issue verbal trespass.”

The responding police officer also noted in his report that he recognized Johnson from “prior contacts.”

The suspect had been released two days earlier from Nisqually Corrections Facility on a Sept. 15, 2021 arrest by Lacey police on a charge of theft.  Johnson has been arrested several previous times this year on suspicion of theft and probation violation, as well as three counts of failure to comply, according to police blotters. 

Johnson was booked at the Thurston County Jail for second-degree robbery and first-degree burglary, both felonies.