By Jim Clark

Somerville Police officers were dispatched to the Star Market on McGrath Hwy. shortly after midnight on September 1 on reports of a man with a knife threatening the reporting party’s husband.

Upon arrival, the officers made contact with the victims. The male victim was frantically saying that a man had just threatened to stab him and took off on a bike heading through the parking lot by the ice skating rink.

The victim was able to provide the officers with a picture of the suspect that he had taken on his phone. The officers sent out the picture to all east end units responding and provided an updated detailed description of the suspect.

The victim’s wife told police that while she was waiting in front of Star Market for her husband, a man, later identified as Paul Phaneuf, of Woburn, approached her and began harassing her about a bag of medication that he had left there.

When the woman stated that she did not know what he was talking about, Phaneuf reportedly started tossing around shopping carts, then walked away.

When the victim showed up, his wife told him what had just happened. The victim then said that as he was putting groceries into his van, Phaneuf approached the van and the victim asked him why he felt the need to harass females.

At this time, Phaneuf reportedly took a knife out of his backpack, brandished it at the victim and stated, “I’ll stick you.”

Phaneuf then reportedly went around to the other side of the van, opened the driver’s side door and while the woman was seated in the front passenger seat brandished the knife at her and stated, “I’ll stick you.”

The victim grabbed a tool from inside his van and ran around the van chasing Phaneuf away from the vehicle.

The victim said Phaneuf put the knife back in his backpack, grabbed a bike from the parking lot, and took off through the parking lot by the ice skating rink.

The two were eager to leave and go home, and they were advised before leaving the scene that Phaneuf had been found and detained by police. Using the photo taken by the victim, the arresting officer was able to confirm that the man they had detained was the suspect that brandished the knife.

Police recovered a knife from Phaneuf’s backpack. The knife was logged into evidence and a picture of it is attached to the report.

Phaneuf was placed under arrest and booked on a charge of assault with a dangerous weapon.