South Hill, WA - A 24-year-old man is in custody after allegedly walking into a South Hill pharmacy wielding a large sword and then walking through a crowded shopping area, according to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office. The incident happened on the evening of July 3 near 176th Street and Meridian in Puyallup’s South Hill area, as many families were out preparing for Fourth of July celebrations. Pierce County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Carly Cappetto said deputies were called after a known shoplifting suspect entered a local pharmacy. “He had entered the store with a very large katana sword and was using it to essentially threaten and intimidate customers and employees,” Cappetto said. Employees recognized the man from past incidents and believed he was going to steal from the store. When they verbally asked him to leave, the situation escalated. “He did begin to intimidate and threaten employees with the sword, and then he took off on foot,” Cappetto said. The suspect fled the pharmacy and walked toward a nearby Fred Meyer across 176th, still armed with the sword. It was about 7:30 p.m., and the parking lot was filled with shoppers, including women and children. The sheriff’s office deployed Pierce One, its air support unit, which quickly located the suspect and provided real-time updates as he moved through the busy parking lot. “They were able to get eyes on him and give us real-time information on his exact location as he walked through that busy parking lot, armed with a sword,” Cappetto said. “You could tell he was very escalated and agitated, and that people were threatened by him.” From the air, the man could be seen swinging the sword and carrying it at his side as he walked. When deputies approached to arrest him for armed robbery and intimidation with a weapon, th