The Renton Police Department is asking for help in identifying two suspects in an armed robbery at the Safeway on Northeast Fourth Street.

“It was what we call a shoplift gone bad,” said detective Keith Hansen.

The two youths, ages about 17 to 20, walked out of the store with a case of Mike’s Hard Lemonade at about 11:22 p.m. March 22.

When a store employee confronted them in the parking lot, one of the suspects pulled out a gun.

The decision turned a shoplifting case into an armed robbery, which is unusual, Hansen said.

The employee let the suspects leave, he said. “He did not want to get shot over a case of beer.”

Store video cameras captured images of the suspects.

“I think the photos are pretty darn good,” he said.

The two suspects are white males in jeans.

The suspect with the gun had a brown beard, grey cap and dark hooded sweatshirt. He was about 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighed about 160 pounds.

The second suspect had blonde hair and a green hooded sweatshirt. He was about 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighed about 170 pounds.

Police are asking people with any information to call detective Hansen at 425-430-7526.