DES MOINES, Iowa — Police say an officer used pepper spray on a 9-year-old and his 8-year-old brother who were carrying butcher knives on the north side of Des Moines.

Police Sgt. Rod Santizo says someone who saw the boys and the knives at a convenience store called police just before noon Tuesday. The boys ran when the first officer on the scene approached them. They soon turned around, and one began arguing with the officer.

Santizo says the officer used the pepper spray when he saw the knives. The boys were soon taken into custody and their eyes flushed with water. They were taken to a hospital as well.

Santizo says the boys stole a couple of drinks from the store but didn’t use the knives to do so. They told officers they were carrying the knives for protection.

The names of those involved haven’t been released.