Demario Davis and his son were in a South Carolina Walmart last week when an incident erupted that required Davis to be more than a spectator.
The Richland County Sheriff’s Department was called to respond to the Columbia store around 2 p.m. Jan. 4.
Deputies were told that a man with a pocket knife was making threats, according to WIS-TV in Columbia.
However, the situation was neutralized before they arrived in an incident caught on video.
“I was at the checkout when my son noticed the guy walk in with the knife open,” Davis told Fox News. “He then proceeded to the service desk waving the knife at a few female employees. They took off running from the guy.
“I then asked a female employee where is security and she stated she was security.”
He told WIS the man with the knife “was like, ‘Once the cops get here, I’m going to start cutting people up.’”
The video shows some people in the crowd trying to speak with the man holding the knife.
“Another customer tried to subdue the gentleman waving the knife, but the guy tried to cut him in the face,” Davis told Fox News.
“When I saw him swinging it, you know, I’m a veteran and we’re trained on stuff like that in basic training for situations like that,” he told WIS.
Video showed Davis walk over to where a stanchion had been placed to control crowd flow. As the man with the knife talked to onlookers, Davis walked up behind him and hit the man with the object.
WARNING: The following video contains vulgar language that some viewers may find offensive.
Man wielding a knife is subdued by bystanders in an SC Walmart pic.twitter.com/nLLU72VCaA
Do military veterans deserve more respect?— Detect Fights ? (@detectfights) January 8, 2023
“My first instinct was to neutralize the situation. So I just casually walked over and waited until I had an opportunity to get him, and I got him,” he said.
“That’s when my military training kicked in and I casually walked over to the object not only to take him down but also protect myself in case I failed, but with my great military training I was able to neutralize the threat until law enforcement arrived,” he told Fox News.
The video showed that after the man was knocked to the floor, others in the crowd arrived to disarm him.
Davis said citizens need to help the police.
“I’m a community person, so if I see something in the community that’s not right, with all the violence and you know things and attacks going on, gun violence, you know, you want your people in the community to step up as well, you know. The cops can’t do it all by themselves,” he said to WIS.
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“I have received so many heartfelt comments and compliments from civilians and veterans all over for my brave act and quick response,” Davis told Fox News.
WIS reported that deputies took the man to a local hospital for an evaluation.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
