Police in Everett, Wash., say a bystander fired a shot into the air to scare a man who had been chasing a woman and threatening her with a knife.

Police Officer Aaron Snell said the man with the knife stopped chasing the woman Wednesday afternoon and was detained by several other people until police arrived and arrested him for unlawful possession of a dangerous weapon. Police say the woman fled.

Snell says the man and woman had been involved in a domestic dispute.

The 61-year-old Arlington man who fired his pistol told police he'd ordered the man with the knife to stop chasing the woman. Fearing for her safety, the bystander says he fired one shot.

Snell says police spoke to the man who fired his gun. They don't expect to pursue any charges against him.