A Farmington man is accused of threatening a Walmart employee with a knife after she confronted him for reportedly hiding a bottle of alcohol under a backpack.

Farmington Police were dispatched on an armed subject call at 10:39 a.m. July 20 at the West Main Walmart. They were told a man pulled out a knife and threatened a store employee.

The suspect Richard Werner, 37, reportedly had a bottle of alcohol under his backpack in a shopping cart. The female employee told police she removed the bottle, because according to Walmart policy, customers are not allowed to take alcohol to checkout.

“It must be transported to the front by a Walmart employee. This is because of the high theft rate of alcohol at the store,” police spokesperson Shanice Gonzales said.

Werner reportedly walked away, but then turned around and shouted at the woman. He “walked briskly with the cart back toward the victim. He confronted her by pulling a dark-in-color, foldout knife from his pocket, deploying the blade and pointing it directly at her,” Gonzales said.

When officers located Werner, they did not find a knife on him, but they confirmed the employees story using surveillance footage.

Werner was arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, which is a fourth-degree felony, and for concealing identity, which is a petty misdemeanor.