Charlotte man charged with indecent exposure and assault

CHARLOTTE — On Friday, police arrested Tabb Lanford, 40, after he allegedly pulled out a machete and threatened officers with it and tried to bite an officer during his arrest.

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“That’s scary,” said Janee Parker, a shopper. “Like first of all, how did he get a machete?”

Shoppers near the Ulta store in the Rivergate shopping center were concerned about the incident because a few days prior to the arrest, Lanford allegedly exposed himself in the store to an employee.

“I feel like as a woman very often, especially in highly populated areas, we have to watch out for ourselves more than when I was coming up,” said shopper Iris Scott.

One worker told Channel 9 she had seen Lanford wondering around the shopping center carrying a machete for at least a couple of weeks. While his behavior could be considered suspicious, it was not in violation of the law.

When police caught up with Lanford, he was carrying a sign asking for food. He is in the Mecklenburg County Jail under $2,000 secured bond.

“I wish they would have caught him sooner,” Parker said. “But I’m glad he didn’t hurt anybody.”

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