This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Up Alaska way, a clearly disturbed man not only threatened the local SWAT team with a samurai sword, he also threw knives at the cops.

And he lived to tell about it.

"FAIRBANKS — A man who threatened Fairbanks police with a samurai sword and threw knives at them on Sunday is in custody.

"Arthur Oniel Farmer, 58, was charged with fourth-degree assault for the incident, which ended early Monday morning after a standoff with law enforcement at a home in the 100 block of Fifth Avenue. ..."

Maybe the Fairbanks police have something to teach other departments. Because that's not always the way it comes out.

Family says police shot Utah man because he was black — The Salt Lake Tribune, Sept. 14, 2014

"Darrien Hunt's family says it can figure only one reason that Saratoga Springs police would shoot to death a 'timid' 22-year-old in the back, even if he had what they call a 'toy' sword: He was black, and treated with extra suspicion because of it.

" 'It's difficult to make any sense out of the situation any other way,' said Cindy Moss, the aunt of Hunt and acting family spokeswoman, on Saturday.

"Saratoga Springs police issued a written statement saying claims that its officers' actions were a result of Hunt's race 'are completely unfounded and speculative. Our officers responded to a call for service and addressed the situation that was presented to them.' ..."

The News-Miner article does not mention the race of the Alaska sword-wielding suspect. But I'm not taking any bets.