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Armed off-duty officer confronts knife-wielding suspect inside Avondale Walmart, PD says

By Jessica Johnson

Updated December 10, 2023 6:39pm MST

Crime and Public Safety

FOX 10 Phoenix

The Avondale Police Department is detailing an incident at a Walmart over the weekend that ended peacefully thanks to an off-duty officer.

At around 3:15 p.m. on Dec. 10, officers responded to reports of an "erratic" person with a knife threatening an employee at the Walmart near I-10 and Dysart Road.

It turns out, the suspect was stopped when an off-duty police officer confronted the suspect by showing him that he was armed, causing the suspect to drop the knife.

The suspect was found by officers and was taken into custody.

"Officers also found that customers were evacuated by Walmart employees as this was taking place. No persons were injured, no shots were fired and there is no threat to the community. The suspect in this matter was arrested and booked into the Maricopa County jail system for aggravated assault," Avondale PD said.

The suspect was not identified.