Oakdale police investigating theft of COVID-19 vaccine vial

Oakdale police are investigating whether a man stole COVID-19 vaccine from a pharmacy, called them "poison" and told customers not to take the vaccine.

The St. Paul man tricked those administering the shots into letting him take a vial in his hand and then walked out of the clinic, ignoring demands by employees to stop, according videos that initially appeared on his Facebook account.

His original videos are no longer public on his account but they surfaced on social media.

Oakdale police were alerted of a theft of a vaccine vial on May 4 at 3:30 p.m., according to Capt. Nick Newton.

Officers are working to determine how much a vial of the vaccine — which has multiple doses — costs. When that's figured out, the man will be charged, said Newton.

The Star Tribune typically does not name suspects before they are charged.

According to one of the videos, the man was in a CVS and told someone who appeared to be a pharmacist that he wanted to read the label on a vial.

As soon as he had it in hand, he took off his mask and walked out of the store, calling it "poison." In another video, he told customers waiting not to take the vaccine.

Alex Chhith • 612-673-4759