A quiet pharmacy trip in unincorporated Puyallup turned surreal on July 3, 2026, when a 24-year-old man allegedly walked in with a katana, grabbed merchandise, and used the sword to menace employees, according to authorities. No one was hurt, but the incident ended with deputies tasing the suspect in a busy shopping area near the Fred Meyer at 176th Street East and Meridian and hauling him off to jail.
The Pierce County Sheriff's Office detailed the arrest in a blotter post on July 17, 2026, saying employees at a pharmacy in the 9500 block of 176th St E reported that a known shoplifter had just walked in carrying a katana. Staff told deputies the man helped himself to items from the shelves and, when they tried to get him to leave, he allegedly brandished the sword to intimidate them.
According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Office, the suspect took off on foot toward the nearby Fred Meyer. The department's Pierce 1 Air Operations Team picked him up from the sky as he moved through the crowded shopping area, feeding deputies a real-time location as ground units closed in with help from a Washington State Patrol trooper.
When deputies finally confronted the man in the Fred Meyer lot, they say he threw the katana. The situation still did not end peacefully, and deputies used a Taser before taking him into custody. The sword, which investigators say had a 24-inch metal blade, was collected as evidence. No injuries were reported.
The 24-year-old was booked into the Pierce County Jail on counts that include burglary in the first degree, intimidation with a weapon, and resisting arrest, according to the sheriff's office.
Charges and Legal Notes
Under Washington law, burglary in the first degree is a class A felony when someone unlawfully enters or remains in a building and is either armed or assaults someone inside, per RCW 9A.52.020. It is among the most serious felony levels in the state.
Resisting arrest is covered in RCW 9A.76.040, which defines it as intentionally preventing or attempting to prevent a lawful arrest. The sheriff's office also listed “intimidation with a weapon” among the charges, a label commonly used when someone displays a weapon in a threatening way to coerce or scare another person and often filed alongside assault-related offenses.
Where It Unfolded
The initial 911 call came from a pharmacy in the 9500 block of 176th St E in unincorporated Puyallup. From there, the chase moved into the commercial hub at Meridian and 176th that includes a Fred Meyer. Local listings put the store at 17404 Meridian E, according to MapQuest.
In its recap of the arrest, the sheriff's office publicly thanked its Air Operations Team and the Washington State Patrol for their roles in tracking and capturing the suspect before anyone was hurt, per its blotter post. Investigators are asking anyone who has video or additional information about the incident to contact the Pierce County Sheriff's Office or submit a tip through Crime Stoppers.
