Man threatens Crazy Horse bartenders with pocketknife

A local man was arrested early Thursday morning after threatening bartenders at the Crazy Horse Food & Drink Emporium with a pocketknife.

James L. Philpott, 62, faces charges of intimidation with a deadly weapon, Drake said, reading from a police report.

Philpott was in Crazy Horse at about 1 a.m. Two bartenders noticed he was being obnoxious and harassing two women who were near him, Drake said. Philpott started arguing with the bartender because he thought the bartender was not waiting on him well enough. Philpott took out a pocketknife and pointed it at the bartenders, Drake said.

One bartender backed away and the other picked up a baseball bat and told Philpott to leave, Drake said. Philpott refused, and the bartenders had security remove him. An off-duty BPD officer nearby realized what was going on and arrested Philpott, Drake said.

Philpott initially denied taking out a knife, but after surveillance tape showed him with the knife, he said he was just showing the knife to the bartender, Drake said.