NBC

Sword-Wielding Man Arrested at Empire State Building After Acting Erratically

The 35-year-old man went into the Midtown tourist destination with no shirt on and wearing pajama pants, with the sword concealed in a cane, law enforcement sources said

What to Know

  • A man was arrested after bringing a sword to the Empire State Building and acting erratically, police said
  • The 35-year-old man went into the Midtown tourist destination with no shirt on and wearing pajama pants, with the sword concealed in a cane
  • Police said he was not causing a threat to others in the area, though video showed him standing and pointing what appeared to be a sword

A man was arrested after bringing a sword to the Empire State Building and acting erratically, police said.

The 35-year-old man went into the Midtown tourist destination with no shirt on and wearing pajama pants, with the sword concealed in a cane, according to police sources. Police said the weapon is called a sword-stick, which hides a two-foot blade inside a wooden walking cane.

Police identified the suspect as Matthew Dixon of Lorton, Virginia. He has been charged with criminal possession of a weapon.

Dixon was sitting on a bench in the Observatory of the building when he began acting erratically, placing the sword to his chest, law enforcement sources told NBC New York.

Police said that he was not causing a threat to others in the area, though video released later Friday evening showed him standing and pointing what appeared to be the sword in the middle of the room. No one was near Dixon as he did that, however.

As police arrived, Dixon dropped the weapon and was quickly taken into custody, law enforcement sources said. He was then taken to Bellevue Hospital.

Chief of Department Terence Monahan posted surveillance video of the arrest on Twitter.

Monahan described the man as "emotionally disturbed" and said officers acted quickly to keep people safe.

A building spokesperson said the incident was resolved without interrupting Observatory operations or impacting any guests.

A man was arrested after bringing a sword to the Empire State Building and acting erratically, police said.

The 35-year-old man went into the Midtown tourist destination with no shirt on and wearing pajama pants, with the sword concealed in a cane, according to police sources.

He was sitting on a bench in the Observatory of the building when he began acting erratically, placing the sword to his chest, law enforcement sources told NBC New York. Police said that he was not causing a threat to others in the area, though video released later Friday evening showed him standing and pointing what appeared to be the sword in the middle of the room. No one was near the man as he did that, however.

As police arrived, the man dropped the weapon and was quickly taken into custody, law enforcement sources said. He was then taken to Bellevue Hospital.

The man has not been identified

Contact Us