Police praise citizens who catch knife-wielding theft
Butler police praised several good Samaritans who chased down and subdued a knife-wielding purse snatcher Sunday night.
One of the men who rushed to help was stabbed in the hand.
“We commend the great citizens of Butler for their actions,” said Deputy Police Chief David Adam. “They did an excellent job. Thank goodness no one was too badly hurt.”
The suspect, 25-year-old Zachariah A. Swann, who is a felon, is in the Butler County Prison on $50,000 bail, and is facing a pair of felony and other charges.
Bernice Rasely, 48, of Butler was walking to her car shortly before 9 p.m. when she noticed a man, later identified as Swann, sitting on the wall of a business in the 100 block of North Monroe Street, according to investigating officer Sgt. William Mayhugh.
The stranger asked for a light for his cigarette and Rasely provided one. But she told police that when she turned her back, he had her in a headlock.
“(Swann) told her to shut up and give him her money,” Mayhugh said in an affidavit he filed with the criminal complaint.
He allegedly snatched her purse and ran off.
Zachary Angert, 29, was nearby. The Summit Township man heard a woman scream that her purse was stolen, and he jumped to action. So did several onlookers.
Angert and the others took off after the man. Angert was first to chase down and tackle the defendant in a parking lot, police said.
However, the suspect was armed. He whipped out a large fixed-blade knife and waved it at Angert, who was stabbed in the palm of his right hand, according to investigators,
The suspected robber again took off running, but the other bystanders-turned-responders quickly had him cornered in a parking lot on North Elm Street.
The gang of good citizens swarmed the defendant, took him to the ground and took away his knife, documents said.
Police arrived and found the suspect on the ground.
Swann was arraigned Monday on charges of aggravated assault, robbery, possessing an instrument of crime and carrying a prohibitive offensive weapon.
A medical crew checked out Angert who did not need immediate hospital treatment, Adam said.
