A man slashed a woman outside of a Target in Tennessee after she refused to give him money, police said.
Bradley Ferguson, 29, approached the victim outside the store in Madison on Monday and demanded she give up her cash. Police said he then pulled a pocketknife and started swinging when she failed to comply, WKRN reported.
The woman put up her hand to protect herself, but was cut on her palm and ring finger, according to a warrant obtained by the station.
Investigators retrieved surveillance video from Target and took Ferguson into custody near the store. He had an outstanding warrant when he was arrested, WKRN reported.
Ferguson was charged with attempted aggravated robbery and was being held on $75,000 bond. He’s set to appear in court Wednesday, WSMV reported. It’s unclear if he’s hired an attorney who could speak on his behalf.
A man who runs a martial arts school in Nashville told the station that women should be aware of their surroundings when they head into department stores after leaving their cars.
“If you got that gut feeling that something is wrong, go with your gut instinct,” said Chris White, who runs Chris White’s Extreme Martial Arts.
White urged women to also “walk with confidence” and to have a plan in place if something unexpected happens — like an attempted robbery.
“When you walk with confidence, walk with your head high, make sure you’re looking around, you’re making eye contact with everyone,” White said. “Because people that don’t walk with confidence – they’re the ones that’s easily attacked.”
If something does go awry, get loud immediately and run if possible, White said.
“I would become the loudest person individual in that parking lot at the time,” White continued. “Try to draw as much attention to you as you can because the attacker doesn’t want you to make any noise. They want you to be quiet, they want you to do what they say.”