Halifax Regional Police say a verbal dispute turned into a small crime spree early yesterday morning at Menz Bar on Gottingen Street.
Two male suspects have been arrested and charged with committing five robberies in under 15 minutes.
Police allege two patrons of Menz Bar initially got into an argument with another man and ended up assaulting him in the washroom of the bar just after midnight.
The suspects then allegedly robbed two other men at knife-point inside the bar, and at some point one of the men allegedly exposed himself.
The suspects then left the bar, but things were far from over, police say.
“A friend of the initial victim followed the (suspects) outside and then a friend of that person’s followed them to try to get them to come back inside,” said police spokesman Const. Brian Palmeter. “They were confronted by the two accused outside.”
Police allege the suspects then robbed the two men who followed them outside, as well as one other person nearby — in total two men and one woman.
They then fled on foot, but didn’t get far. A police station is located just a few minutes walk from the bar and officers were on scene “within seconds.” After a brief foot pursuit, police say they managed to apprehend both suspects.
All of the stolen property was recovered.
Jason Boudreau, 25, of Halifax is charged with five counts of robbery, assault, breach of probation and possession of a weapon. Brandon Upshaw, 32, of Windsor is charged with five counts of robbery, assault and performing an indecent act.
The two were arraigned in Halifax provincial court yesterday and were remanded into custody. They will appear in court today for a bail hearing.
Only one man was hurt. He was taken to the QEII Health Sciences Centre with non-life-threatening facial injuries.
