A man waiving a samurai sword refused to go quietly Thursday and had to be taken down using non-lethal force by Texas police.
A man wearing what appears to be a ninja mask, cape and some kind of protective vest was seen wielding a sword as he walked down Independence Parkway near Hagen Street just before 10 a.m in Plano.
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People passing by called 911 and officers arrived and worked on trying to get him to peacefully surrender. Police closed down Independence Parkway in both directions when the man moved into the street.
“When you're dealing with someone with a sword, you want to keep your distance away,” said Plano Police Officer David Tilley. “So a taser isn’t a viable option.”
By the time officers arrived, the masked man was at the intersection of Hagen Drive. The man could be seen on video striking different poses with the sword.
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“Every once in a while he would get into some kind of defensive stance, he didn't want to surrender,” said witness Daniel Stockham, who recorded parts of the incident on his smart phone.
Police said it was clear early on, after trying to talk to the man, they were dealing with someone who may be on drugs or have a mental condition. Relying on crisis intervention training, officers decided to use non-lethal force -- a gun that shoots small rubber projectiles.
Stockham said officers fired three times.
“That convinced him to surrender and he put his sword down and got down on his hands and knees,” Stockham said.
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