VANCOUVER -- Police are investigating a disturbing assault inside a Burnaby, B.C., hardware store that apparently started when an employee asked a man why he wasn't wearing a mask.

Authorities said the attack took place near 1st Avenue and Boundary Road at around 12:30 p.m. on May 8.

After being approached, the maskless customer allegedly turned violent.

Burnaby RCMP said the suspect began punching an employee, and continued beating him on the head and back even after the victim had fallen to the ground.

Mounties released 43 seconds of surveillance video that shows the suspect smashing the front window of the shop with pair of bolt cutters.

The video does not include the attack.

“It’s quite traumatic for everyone involved,” said Cpl Mike Kalanj with Burnaby RCMP. “We want to get his face out there to see if anyone does recognize him.”

Kalanj added that when another worker interrupted the assault, the suspect threatened to kill him with a knife.

After leaving the store and smashing the window, the suspect appears to taunt employees from the parking lot.

Video shows him appearing to threaten to throw the bolt cutters at someone twice, before he exchanges words with someone off camera, then appears to walk away.

Police describe the suspect as a white man with blonde hair in a buzz cut. He was waring a dark grey hoodie, light blue jeans and dark running shoes at the time of the incident.

One worker suffered some injuries, police said, but will be OK.

A manager at the hardware store told CTV News he did not want to comment.

“This is not something we want to see in our city,” Kalanj said.

Burnaby RCMP asked anyone with information about the attack to call the detachment at 604-646-9999.