On Saturday September 10, at 4:37 p.m., an alleged public purse snatching generated contained mayhem—including a pepper spray hose down—in the University District.

According to a police report, a couple was sitting on the raised deck alongside Cafe on the Ave when a man walking by allegedly grabbed the woman's purse, which was resting "about a foot away from her" and took off running. The report states that the victim screamed while her boyfriend chased the suspect, who was headed south down University Way NE.

One block later, the report states that the boyfriend caught up with the suspect, who "immediately began fighting to retain the purse." According to witnesses, "The fight between them was violent, and consisted of both men repeatedly striking the other in the face."

Eventually, the boyfriend wrestled the suspect to the ground with another man's assistance. But here's where things get weird: After restraining the suspect, "an unknown woman pepper sprayed all three combatants not realizing a crime had occurred." Even weirder: after waging chemical warfare on three strangers, the report notes that the woman "then left the scene before officers arrived."

The Seattle Fire Department treated all three pepper spray victims before the police arrested the suspected purse snatcher on robbery charges.

According to the report, a search of the suspect conducted at the North Precinct revealed 15 bags of marijuana totaling 16.8 grams, as well as a signed medical marijuana prescription card. Officer Hanson, who wrote up the police report, did some (very basic) sleuthing: "Because I saw in a records check that he'd been arrested twice in the last 2 months for selling narcotics, and it was packaged for individual purchase, I decided to place the drugs into evidence, not safekeeping."