An argument at the Metropolitan State University library Tuesday escalated to a fight and possibly a stabbing, police said.

The man who may have been injured left the area and was not found.

Officials at the St. Paul university issued an alert to students and faculty, saying there was a “violent incident” in the building that houses the Metro State library. There was no indication that students or employees were directly involved, the university said in a statement.

At about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, officers were called to Metro State on an aggravated assault that reportedly involved a knife, according to police.

It began when a man said “disrespectful things” to another man in the university’s library on East Seventh Street, near Maria Avenue, said Sgt. Mike Ernster, a St. Paul police spokesman. That led to a verbal altercation and then a fight.

The man who initially made the remarks was there with his adult son, who punched the other man, according to Ernster. The son was holding a utility tool, similar to a Leatherman, which he dropped.

The man who had been punched then picked up the tool and used it to defend himself, Ernster said. He struck the other man’s son with it “and believed he could have stabbed him,” but it was unknown because the father and son left, Ernster said.

University security staff witnessed the altercation and called 911. The man who was punched was injured, but did not need to go to the hospital, Ernster said. No one was arrested, according to police.

The building that houses the Metro State University library is also home to the St. Paul Public Library’s Dayton’s Bluff branch. The incident happened in a common space in the building near Metro State’s security desk, according to Audrey Bergengren, the university’s public information officer.

“The safety and security of our faculty, staff, and students is our top priority,” Bergengren said. “The University has diligently prepared for many types of incidents, including ones like this.”