Officers arrested a knife-wielding man on Capitol Hill early this morning after he pulled a knife on two people inside a grocery store while in the midst of a homophobic rant.
A man and woman were shopping at the QFC at Broadway and E Pike around 1 AM when the suspect began leering at the woman. When the suspect said she was “very sexy” her friend stepped in and told the man to be more respectful. The suspect ignored the man’s admonishment and told the victims he could stare at whomever he wanted.
During the confrontation, the suspect pulled out a knife, made several homophobic remarks to the victims, who are both gay, and threatened to cut them.
The suspect fled the store, but police quickly found him a block away and arrested him. When officers searched the suspect, they found he was carrying two knives, and booked him into the King County Jail for malicious harassment, Washington State’s hate crime statute.