Pedestrians held at knife-point in Tempe, AZ
A Tempe man was arrested for threatening two pedestrians with a knife early Thursday, Oct. 30.
Charges included one count of aggravated assault, one count of disorderly conduct due to verbal harassment, and another count of delay and obstruction for evading police.
According to a police report, a male and female victim, whose names have not been released, were walking to the female’s car when Kody Clark, 18, and two other men, Chadwick Adams, 19, and Francisco Antolin-Zarate, a minor, approached them asking for money.
The victims reportedly told the three men they had no money and continued towards the woman’s car. Antolin-Zarate called both victims “bitches” and gestured for Adams and Clark to follow after them.
“The victims could not specify who said what, but both stated that Kody, Chadwick and Francisco all engaged in the name calling and rude comment making,” said Officer Martin Marchant, the responding officer. “Upon arrival at the car, the female victim began to drive away. A rock then struck her window, which caused a crack.”
The male victim, who was only escorting the woman to her car and had to return to work, asked Clark what his problem was.
“I’m from the hood,” Clark reportedly said, producing a 4-inch silver blade and challenging the male victim to a fight.
According to Officer Marchant, the male victim said he told Clark that he did not want any problems and asked the three men to “just leave,” ignoring the fact that Clark and his companions were trailing after him.
When the male victim arrived at his place of employment, which was not specified in the police report, one of the three males shouted that he had ”a shotty”, or a shotgun, in their car and opened the vehicle’s door.
Police had already been dispatched at this point, according to the police report, having been informed earlier of a knife being presented in the area. When the sirens were audible, Clark, Adams, and Antolin-Zarate fled.
Officer Marchant stated that he waited for someone to return the scene, which eventually, Clark did. Officer Marchant said when he yelled, “Stop! Police,” Clark ran up “A” Mountain, where he was subsequently detained.
Submitting to a Preliminary Breath Test (PBT), Clark’s Breath Alcohol Content (BrAC) was .069, leading to his fourth charge of the night for being under 21 in consumption of alcohol.
“You know, we do get cases like this on occasion, it’s not uncommon unfortunately,” said Lieutenant Michael Pooley, Tempe Police’s media relation’s sergeant and public information officer. “An aggravated assault could be anything where you’re using an instrument to cause bodily harm. You know, it could be a pencil. It just depends on what it is, and more occasions than not, we do deal with weapons such as knives, guns, handguns, and rifles, those types of things.”
Pooley said that Clark carrying the 4-inch knife was legal, but presenting it in a threatening manner was not.
“Anytime you’re involved with a crime and use that weapon, which in this case, he had that knife out in a threatening manner like he was going to stab somebody, it becomes aggravated assault,” Pooley said. “That weapon becomes seized by our officers and becomes evidence under the case, and until that case is adjudicated, it will remain in evidence.”
While Clark was the only one charged for aggravated assault, both Adams and Antolin-Zarate were located later and arrested for disorderly conduct and minor in consumption. The status of the case is pending.
