[dropcap]T[/dropcap]wo Anchorage police officers on foot patrol chased down and took an ax and sword-wielding suspect into custody in the 5th Avenue Mall on Sunday after he took off running as they approached him APD reports.

The officers took the suspect,  22-year-old Frankie Warner-Willhoit, into custody just after 5 pm on Sunday. Then at 5:41 pm, dispatch broadcast that there had been a stabbing in the mall and sent out a description of the suspect. The officers realized that they had that suspect in custody when that description matched the suspect that they had just arrested.

The preliminary investigation at the mall found that Warner-Willhoit and another male got into a verbal altercation at the mall’s food court, prompting mall security to escort one of the two off the property.

That person, about to become the victim, returned to the food court and re-engaged with Warner-Willhoit and the suspect drew a knife and stabbed the victim one time in the upper body. During the incident, the victim was able to grab Warner-Willhoit sword and strike him in the leg causing a superficial wound.

The altercation carried on as they descended to the third floor at which time they separated. Soon after, Warner-Willhoit encountered the two foot patrol officers and believing that he had been reported, began to run before being taken into custody.

  5th avenue, Anchorage, arrest, ax, food court, foot patrol, mall, stabbing, sword