SPRINGDALE, Ohio — A Cincinnati man "displaying" a knife inside the Springdale Target store set off a panic and a standoff with police Wednesday afternoon, but no injuries resulted, according to Springfield police.
Landen Whitehead, 26, was arrested and charged with inducing panic and aggravated menacing, police said in a statement.
The store at 900 East Kemper Road was evacuated immediately after the incident began around 12:45 p.m., police said.
According to a police release, responding officers twice shot Tasers at Whitehead after he refused commands to drop the knife, but the Tasers did not take effect. Officers continued to talk to Whitehead to no avail. When the Hamilton County SWAT team arrived, Whitehead dropped the knife and was taken into custody about 2 p.m.
A Target release said a man with a knife threatened two employees inside the store, and it thanked police for de-escalating the situation.
"Police arrived within minutes and were able to successfully de-escalate the situation and apprehend the man," the company's statement said. "We’re thankful that there were no injuries and are working quickly to get counselors to the store for our team. We’ll provide law enforcement with whatever is needed for their investigation and want to thank the Springdale Police Department for their quick response."
