Man tries to cut off his arm at busy Denny's restaurant

uploaded by World_Groove September 2, 2008 at 05:40 pm
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Man tries to cut off his arm at busy Denny's restaurant by World_Groove

no longer armed and dangerous ?

I realize the food isn't for everyone, and the service can sometimes be frustrating... but you would think the guy could have waited for an appetizer !

A 33-year-old man who tried cutting off his arm inside a busy Denny's restaurant because he believed it would save his life was arrested Friday night, according to Modesto police.

According to Sgt. Brian Findlen, Michael Lasiter of Modesto had been injecting cocaine in a nearby motel when he thought he had injected air into his vein, which can lead to death.

Findlen said the man believed that if he cut off his arm, he could save himself from dying.

Lasiter entered the restaurant at 1525 McHenry Ave. about 10:15 p.m. and grabbed a butter knife off a customer's table and began stabbing himself in the right arm near the biceps. When that didn't work, he ran into the kitchen and got a butcher knife and started "digging the knife into his arm," Findlen said.

Police arrived almost immediately and isolated the man. A few minutes later, they used a Taser to subdue him.

"He wouldn't obey a substantial number of commands and continued to stab himself," Findlen said. "There were some tense moments, but a lot of patrons didn't know what was going on."

Lasiter was arrested and taken to a Modesto hospital to treat severe cuts to his arm.

Findlen said he had "never seen anything like that before" in his 11 years in law enforcement.

He said the restaurant closed for the evening to clean up.

I would imagine the Health inspectors will be checking out this location quite closely, maybe an extra look at the meat locker just in case....

Photo Properties
NP! ID: 1608975
Title: Man tries to cut off his arm at busy Denny's restaurant
File Size: 300 × 367 – 36.52 KB

Created: Tue, 09/02/2008 - 5:40pm
Modified: Tue, 09/02/2008 - 5:40pm

File Type: image (jpeg)

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