A man was taken into custody Wednesday night as police swarmed the area following a report of a man threatening people with a knife and an injured man at Broadway and Pine. According to eyewitnesses, one man sustained a gash to the face as others sought refuge inside of a drugstore at the corner. According to one police officer at the scene, the suspect was carrying a butter knife when he was apprehended by police.

UPDATE Thursday, 12/13/12 — 7:55 AM: SPD has posted a preliminary report on the incident describing how the attack started inside Walgreens:

Officers confronted a man with a knife outside a Walgreens on Broadway last night after responding to calls that he had cut someone with a knife and was threatening others. After a few tense minutes, the suspect was taken into custody.

Shortly after 8:00 pm last night East Precinct officers were dispatched to a report of a man with a knife assaulting and threatening people near Broadway Avenue and East Pine Street. As the first officer arrived in the area, people on the sidewalk began pointing her toward the south east corner, where the suspect was standing. The suspect was holding a knife in his hand. Additional reports coming into 911 also stated that there was a victim inside the Walgreens who had a cut to his face, courtesy of the suspect.

The officer commanded the suspect to drop his knife repeatedly, but each time he ignored her commands. The suspect, still armed with the knife, advanced on the first officer. The officer repositioned to maintain distance between them until another officer arrived. It appeared that the suspect was ranting incoherently. The suspect eventually threw his knife toward the officer, and a Taser was employed to assist in taking the suspect into custody.

Once the suspect was in custody, officers were able to go to the Walgreens and check with the victims. The man inside the store was bleeding from a cut to his cheek. He told officers that he was walking past the store on Pine Street when he noticed the suspect yelling and waving a knife around. The man stated that he tried to walk past the suspect, but that the suspect reached out and struck him. The victim told the man to stay away from him, and then, without warning, the suspect slashed at the man’s face with the knife. The victim immediately ran into the store for assistance as the suspect walked away on Pine. Several other people approached officers and stated that the suspect had attempted to attack them as well.

Seattle Fire Department arrived and treated the victim for his cut and the suspect for the Taser deployment at the scene. The victim’s laceration was not life-threatening. The suspect, a 35-year-old male, was later booked into the King County Jail for Investigation of Assault.