UTICA, NY — You go into Walmart to grab groceries, maybe a few things for the house… not to end up in the middle of a knife fight. But that’s exactly what happened Saturday afternoon in North Utica.

Around 12:35 PM on April 26, Utica Police were called to Walmart after reports of a fight involving knives. When officers got there, they weren’t walking into a simple argument — they found multiple people going at it, and one woman holding a large knife in her hand.

Police didn’t waste time. Weapons were drawn, commands were given, and the situation got tense real quick. The woman dropped one knife… but then officers realized she had another one in her other hand. Both were taken, and she was put in handcuffs on the spot.

Now here’s where it gets wild — according to police, those knives weren’t brought in. They were grabbed right off the store shelves during the fight.

What started as an argument near the back of the store didn’t stay there. It escalated into a physical altercation that moved through a large part of the building, all the way toward the checkout area. Customers and employees were caught right in the middle of it.

And it didn’t stop inside.

While officers were still trying to sort everything out, another altercation broke out in the parking lot. The group eventually scattered, but not before turning the entire scene into a complete mess.

So far, police have charged:

  • Phoenix Lee, 20, of Utica, with two counts of harassment and disorderly conduct
  • Wakia Arnold, 23, of Utica, with disorderly conduct and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree

Police say more charges could be coming as the investigation continues.

Let’s call this what it is — this could’ve ended a whole lot worse. When people start grabbing knives off shelves in the middle of a fight, that’s not just a bad decision… that’s a situation seconds away from turning deadly.

People got lucky this time.

The bigger question is this — what’s it gonna take before something like this doesn’t end with just charges?


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