SPD: Man arrested for racial threats, knife-wielding in N. Seattle The incident occurred outside a paint shop on Aurora Avenue

Seattle police arrested a 26-year-old man on Aurora Avenue North Sunday on suspicion of racially charged taunting and defacing a paint shop with a knife. Seattle police arrested a 26-year-old man on Aurora Avenue North Sunday on suspicion of racially charged taunting and defacing a paint shop with a knife. Photo: Tyler Packer / EyeEm/Getty Images/EyeEm Photo: Tyler Packer / EyeEm/Getty Images/EyeEm Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close SPD: Man arrested for racial threats, knife-wielding in N. Seattle 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Seattle police arrested a 26-year-old man on Aurora Avenue North Sunday on suspicion of racially charged taunting and defacing a paint shop with a knife.

The man reportedly approached a Sherwin Williams store in the 10300 block of Aurora Avenue North and stood outside the plate-glass windows and stared inside, court records say.

Two white people and a black man were working inside the store at the time and the man outside appeared to fixate on the black employee, Seattle police reports indicate.

RELATED: Charges: Man pepper-sprayed Muslim family in N. Seattle

The man then began yelling through the window at the worker, screaming something about "Africa," balling his fists and spitting at the window. The black man inside couldn't hear exactly what he was saying, but heard "Africa" multiple times, he told police.

The man then began making "monkey noises" while staring at the employee, according to the incident report. He allegedly brandished a fixed-blade knife and held it in an overhand position, prompting the store's manager to lock the front door and call 911.

The armed man used the tip of the knife's blade to carve some unreadable lettering into the plate-glass windows and poured a beer onto them, police indicate.

RELATED: Charges: Man targeted, beaten during racist tirade in Kirkland

Cops arrived to find the suspect standing on the sidewalk in front of the store. He had thrown down a large fixed-blade fillet knife onto the sidewalk before police spoke to him, reports say.

Police booked the man into King County Jail for investigation of malicious mischief and malicious harassment, Washington's hate crime law.

Lynsi Burton can be reached at lynsiburton@seattlepi.com. Follow her on Twitter at @LynsiBurton_PI.