A knife-wielding grocery store employee attacked eight co-workers Friday, seriously injuring five before a witness pulled a gun and stopped him, police said.

Ingram, chasing one victim into the store's parking lot, was subdued by Chris Cope, manager of a financial services office in the same small shopping center, Memphis Police Sgt. Vince Higgins said.

Cope said he grabbed a 9mm semiautomatic pistol from his pickup truck when he saw the attacker chasing the victim "like something in a serial killer movie."

"When he turned around and saw my pistol, he threw the knife away, put his hands up and got on the ground," Cope told The Associated Press. "He saw my gun and that was pretty much it."

Note that Mr. Cope stopped the attack without firing a shot.

Much thanks to Mr. Cope for stopping the attack. Of course, the police spokesman has to make the obligatory "The proles shouldn't be trying this" remark:

"We commend him," Higgins said. "But we don't encourage people to take that kind of risk. He could have been hurt."

Actually, Officer Higgins, I'd venture a guess that if Mr. Psycho hadn't dropped the knife when he did, he'd be the one who got hurt, possibly even saving Tennessee taxpayers the cost of incarcerating him for the next several years. Or are you afraid that if more citizens actually took responsibility for the safety of themselves, and, as in this case, their fellows, the cops won't have as many chances to play hero?