A man is facing an assault charge after allegedly swinging a hammer at employees at the Walmart Neighborhood Market.
Rio Rancho Police responded to the store at Southern Blvd. and NM 528 Feb. 28 in response to the complaint.
According to an officer’s criminal complaint of the incident, they saw staff running out the front door when police arrived.
One of the staff told the officer that the man tried to hit her on the head with the hammer. They told the officer that they were performing work duties when they heard a commotion. They went toward the noise in the direction of the employee entrance and was met with the man swinging the hammer down on them. The man pulled back the hammer just before he would have hit the employee.
As the officer went into the store, they saw the man, later identified as Travis Spencer of Albuquerque, running toward them with the hammer raised above his head. The officer ordered Spencer to stop, and Spencer was taken into custody. Spencer was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
