Man Shot Dead After Swinging Samurai Sword While Running Towards Police Officers

A man armed with a samurai sword was shot and killed by officers after he allegedly ran toward law enforcement while swinging the katana at them in north Phoenix on Saturday, Sept. 10.

The suspect, identified as 40-year-old Aaron Baughman, reportedly struck a fence at the Cactus Park police substation near 39th Avenue and Cactus Road on Saturday, Sept. 10, while armed with a samurai sword. When the officers asked Baughman to drop the weapon, he allegedly began to charge toward the police while swinging the sword at them, New York Post reported.

As the man charged toward them with the katana raised, the officers opened fire at Baughman. The sword-toting man, who suffered grievous injuries in the shooting, was immediately taken to a hospital where he later died from his injuries.

Meanwhile, a second man, identified later as Baughman's father, reportedly drove up to the precinct during the shooting incident and began to move toward Baughman. However, the officers told him to stop, and he was temporarily detained, ABC15 Arizona reported.

No officers were injured in the incident.

In a similar but unrelated incident, an Oregon man was arrested on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021, after breaking into a Portland home and resisting arrest by swinging a sword at armed police, Latin Times reported.

Chance T. Haylett, 20, reportedly broke into a home on Northeast Farragut near North Williams Avenue carrying around 15 weapons including a sword, an axe, a slingshot, and several knives. However, seeing a home invader man breaking into the residence, neighbors alerted the authorities.

After Haylett spotted law enforcement outside the home, he charged out the back door toward armed police officers while swinging his sword. An officer managed to fire a foam-tip projectile at Haylett to keep him at a distance. However, Haylett continued to threaten officers with his sword and other weapons.

This prompted the officers to fire another round of foam-tip projectiles at him. This round of rubber bullets changed the suspect’s demeanor and the authorities were able to convince him to drop his weapons and surrender.

Haylett received a mental health evaluation at a local hospital before he was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center on multiple charges, including first-degree burglary, first-degree criminal trespassing, first-degree criminal mischief, felon in possession of a restricted weapon, and unlawful use of a weapon.