A 24-year-old man was arrested after deputies say he threatened pharmacy employees with a katana sword during a robbery in Puyallup.
Deputies responded around 7:30 p.m. July 3 to a reported armed robbery at a pharmacy in the 9500 block of 176th Street East, according to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office.
Scroll down for video of the pursuit
Investigators said the suspect, who employees recognized as a known shoplifter, entered the store carrying a katana sword and took merchandise from a shelf.
When employees confronted him and asked him to leave, he allegedly used the sword to threaten and intimidate them before fleeing on foot, police said.
The suspect then headed toward the Fred Meyer near the intersection of 176th Street East and Meridian, where deputies said numerous shoppers were in the area.
The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office said its Pierce 1 Air Operations Team tracked the suspect from the air and relayed his location to deputies on the ground. A Washington State Patrol trooper also responded to assist.
As law enforcement officers confronted the suspect, he allegedly threw the sword and ran through the parking lot, according to the sheriff’s office.
Bodycam footage shows deputies pursuing him on foot before deploying a TASER device and arresting him. No injuries were reported.
Deputies recovered the katana, which had a 24-inch metal blade inside a sheath, as evidence, police said.
The man was booked into the Pierce County Jail on suspicion of first-degree burglary, intimidation with a weapon and resisting arrest.
Watch video of the arrest below:
