Police: Man at Home Depot Fights With Police

Image: Shazad Haq (PWCPD)

A Woodbridge man brandishing a pipe attacked a Pennsylvania man and a police officer Friday evening at the Home Depot in Woodbridge, and he tried to grab another officer’s gun.

The incident occurred at the store at 14025 Foulger Square, according to a police report. The suspect, Shazad Haq, 32, of 15807 Beau Ridge Drive in Woodbridge, was arrested and charged with one count of attempted malicious wounding, two counts of assault and battery on a law enforcement officer, one count of attempting to disarm a law enforcement office, one count of disorderly conduct and one count of obstruction of justice.

He’s being held without bond at the Prince William-Manassas regional jail, and his next date in court is July 29.

Police officers responded to the scene at 6:03 p.m. Friday. The victim of the pipe attack, a 54-year-old man from Tobyhanna, Pa., told police that an unknown man, later identified as Haq, began running towards the store’s loading dock in an aggressive manner. As Haq got closer, he allegedly picked up a metal pipe and began striking the store’s bay doors.

The victim yelled at the suspect to stop, at which point Haq began to chase him, the police report said. The accused caught up to the victim and struck him in the arm with the pipe, causing a minor injury.

A police officer arrived on the scene and located the accused in the store’s parking lot. When the officer exited his cruiser, Haq allegedly lifted two metal pipes and began swinging them in the air while yelling towards the officer.

The officer ordered Haq to drop the pipes and lay on the ground. He initially complied; however, Haq became agitated when officers attempted to place him in handcuffs, the police report said. He then grabbed a pipe and hit an officer in the leg.

When officers escorted him to a cruiser, Haq became agitated again and grabbed an officer’s service weapon, the police report said. A struggle ensued, and he was eventually placed in the back seat of a cruiser. The officer was able to keep the weapon in the holster during the struggle.