Walmart hostage suspect arrested

YORK, Va. (WAVY) - The man involved in a hostage situation at a Yorktown Walmart Tuesday was arrested and a woman was taken to the hospital with stab wounds, according to the York/Poquoson Sheriff's office.

The Sheriff's Department received the call to the store on George Washington Memorial Highway at 12:40 p.m. They were told a man--later identified as James Davis--had a sharp cutting instrument and was holding a woman hostage in the optometry area. Police evacuated the store.

A woman who witnessed the stabbing spoke to WAVY.com about what she saw. The witness, who did not want to be identified, said that the victim was on the phone and Davis came in and began yelling at her.

"I saw the man with the knife," she said. "And he turned around and stabbed the woman."

"He was screaming at her and ranting and raving, and you could see him just turn around and stab her. And there was blood on her already, so he had already stabbed her a couple times," she said.

The witness said she and several others were watching this happen, but soon realized that the crowd was making the man nervous.

"We all backed away from the door because we realized that that's what was antagonizing him," she said. "Every time he would see somebody he would get anxious and stab her again."

The store was then evacuated.

Authorities brought in the suspect's brother, Jake Davis, to help. 

"I wanted to be able to talk with him and let him get himself back together," said Davis.

"Love is a dangerous thing," he added.

Just after 2:30 p.m., police made contact with Davis, removed him from the store and took him away in a squad car. Davis is the victim's ex-boyfriend, according to the Sheriff's Department.

Medics took the victim to Riverside Hospital, where she is listed in critical condition.

Chopper 10 video showed the woman being put on a gurney before she was taken away in an ambulance.