SLO man arrested after allegedly swinging knife in park filled with kids on Labor Day
A San Luis Obispo man was arrested Monday after he police say he charged through Laguna Lake Park swinging a large knife and threatening people as families with kids enjoyed the Labor Day holiday.
Police first responded to a report of a man waving a knife in the air in restaurant parking lot in the 300 block of Madonna Road around 3:06 p.m., the San Luis Obispo Police Department said in a news release.
When officers arrived at the scene, the man, later identified as Samuel Stokes, 30, allegedly ran across Madonna Road and into Laguna Lake Park, which was “busy with families and children enjoying the park,” the agency said.
Officers set up a perimeter to contain Stokes as he allegedly continued to “aggressively” wave the knife and threaten officers and people at the park.
Stokes allegedly tried to run toward areas where children were present while swinging the knife and yelling as officers attempted to negotiate with him, police said.
Officers tried to us less-than-lethal projectiles to stop Stokes to no avail, police said, but they were eventually able to surround him and convince him to drop the knife.
Police said Stokes fought with officers as they arrested him, and Stokes was taken into custody. No injuries were reported during the incident.
Stokes was arrested on suspicion of two felonies — brandishing a weapon and resisting an officer with force or violence — as well as misdemeanor being under the influence of a controlled substance and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.
According to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office inmate database, Stokes was still in custody at the San Luis Obispo County Jail as of Tuesday 4:45 p.m. with a $125,000 bail.
This story was originally published September 3, 2024 at 5:24 PM.
