PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Four masked suspects robbed a Southeast Portland dispensary at gunpoint on Tuesday night, authorities said.
In a brutal three-minute ordeal, one suspect jumped the counter while another loaded products and cash into a duffle bag. The lone employee was beaten, dragged, punched and slammed headfirst into a metal door, suffering a broken nose.
The Portland Police Bureau confirmed to KOIN 6 News that officers responded to reports of a robbery at the dispensary at 9:46 p.m.
"The suspects were gone before police got there and no immediate arrests were made," said Kevin Allen, a PPB spokesperson. "The case is under investigation."
The Truly Pure Dispensary owners provided KOIN 6 with surveillance footage from the robbery. They said they've seen robberies like this happen more frequently lately.
"What are you going to do? You can't do anything when someone puts a gun to your head within an inch of your life and beats you senseless," said Matthew Buker, co-owner of the dispensary.
Buker also said dispensaries like his are prime targets because the industry is forced to deal in cash. He's demanding stronger protections to stop these violent attacks.
"Over the years, there hasn't been a lot of advocacy for us as an industry," he said.
A federal marijuana ban blocks banks from working with cannabis businesses.
Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley's Safer Banking Act aims to change that, allowing banks to serve the industry without penalties.
"Getting something to the floor is very difficult in the Senate and we still appear to have some obstacles to overcome," Merkely said.
While the bill stalls, Buker faces his own hurdles. He planned new security upgrades, but got robbed just days before.
"We were less than a week away from installing a magnetic lock on the door with a buzzer," Buker said.
Buker says he wants justice, not just for himself or his friend, but for an industry he says is vulnerable to violence and neglect.
"The only thing we can do is try to get better ourselves, but it doesn't feel comfortable," he said.
