Van Arnold, 45, was sexually harassing women inside the store, at one point telling the female clerk he wanted to come behind the counter and have sex with her, according to a police report.
The report said Arnold then tried to lure the mother, who was with her child, to the back of the store.
An employee then kicked Arnold out of the store.
Witnesses said Arnold then grabbed an ax out of his truck and came at the woman and her child.
This is the ax witnesses say a man used to threaten a young mother and her child at a Westside convenience store. What the victim says the suspect tried to do to her inside the store, coming up at 10 on FOX30 @ActionNewsJax. pic.twitter.com/zhEPe5kJE9
— Christy Turner (@ChristyANJax) July 13, 2019
In a Facebook comment, the woman wrote, “the ax would have killed my daughter and no telling what else would happen.”
Police were hanging out in the parking lot as the situation unfolded. Officers were able to stop the suspect before he hurt anyone. Officers stunned Arnold with a Taser.
Arnold was arrested and charged with resisting an officer without violence.
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