An unsettling incident occurred in an Apple Store in Manhattan, when a man wielding a samurai sword pleaded, “I just want an iPhone”.
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A video posted online shows the man sitting on the store’s spiral staircase before standing up and swinging the sword against the handrail.
“I tried to talk him out of it because I thought he was trying to commit suicide”.
He then picked up the sword and began swinging it again as he descended the stairs.
The packed store quickly cleared the way for the Hsu Chien to walk out of the store where he stood outside and threaten to kill himself by placing the sword at back of his neck.
Apolo said customers rushed to the emergency exits when the man counted out loud like he had a bomb. Maybe he just wanted to play Fruit Ninja in real life? “The blade must have been two feet, curved, shining”. No injuries were reported at the scene and the man’s name was not immediately made known.
Chien is reportedly being charged with criminal possession of a weapon and menacing.
The man was taken to Bellevue Hospital where he awaits assessment.
On Friday evening, after the ordeal, uniformed police officers and security patrolled the plaza along Fifth Avenue.
“I don’t know if he is from ISIS or wherever the heck he is from but I thought this is the beginning of some sort of terrible headline tomorrow”, she said, according to Fox News. “You see something new every day, but this is shocking”.
Business Insider has reached out to Apple for comment and will update the post when we hear back.
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The incident was not terror-related, police confirmed.
