“What does one do in this situation?”

stock photo

Ed. Note: If you ever see someone holding a combat knife like the one above, do not hesitate to call the police at 911.

“Dear PoPville,

Yesterday, my boyfriend and I were on a walk and were walking up 7th street through Gallery Place. Right before we reached the corner where the PNC Bank is, a man turned to walk down the same sidewalk we were on. Before he passed us, I noticed that he was holding a combat knife facing outwards while walking, very similar to the photo above. Luckily, there was no interaction and we walked home afterwards, but seeing as this man was about a couple feet away from us on the sidewalk – what does one do in this situation?

There were a handful of police in Gallery Place down the street, but he could have temporarily put it away. Similarly, if I had called the police, would it take too long for them to find him? It definitely left me feeling shaken up, especially recalling the stabbing that had occurred with the jogger near Logan Circle in 2018.

I also wanted to see if anyone has had a similar experience or has seen this man? He was a thin African American male, looked like he could be mid/late-twenties to early thirties and had his shirt completely unbuttoned and had tattoos on his chest/body.”