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.
Unbelievable.
Sounds like he thought he had an air bubble in a vein. Typically syringe users have this at their ultimate fear – battery acid being next to last.
Ha ha Damn, But as for the use of taser, this for one is such incident that its rightly used.
On a side note, i dont know what i would have done, if i was the customer in the restaurant that he took the knife from and started stabbing himself in front of.
mohotaker: On a side note, i dont know what i would have done, if i was the customer in the restaurant that he took the knife from and started stabbing himself in front of.
I believe the polite thing to do in this situation is to inform the person they may keep the knife, and not worry, you’ll just ask for another the next time a member of the serving staff comes around.
Headline should be: “Denny’s closes to clean up”. Never been to a clean one yet.
You need an awful lot of air in a vein to kill someone. Much more than could be accidentally injected by some junkie.
#3 P$J – Emily Post would be proud.
#4 – Ha Ha. So True!
I think the junkie had it right. That’s the best way to cure his addiction. Death.
Ha- Ha, Great photo, but as greasy spoons go, I’m a Waffle House kind of guy.
And how would you like your hand sandwich today, sir ?
Is this considered “finger food”???
Nah, I heard he got his arm caught under a pile of hash browns and panicked.
#3
I believe the polite thing to do in this situation is to inform the person they may keep the knife, and not worry, you’ll just ask for another the next time a member of the serving staff comes around.
LOL ha ha good one
feeling itchy under our skin is a major side effect of Crystal Meth, which is why many meth heads have scars: They do it to themselves.
Denny’s – We are fresh obsessed! Fresh meat served daily.
He was trying to get away from the long arm of the law.
wow! denny’s has butter at their restaurants??
and they closed to clean up………… …. that is a bit suspect there….
So how many here are still thinking that all drugs should be legalized?
#16 Mr. F – I think Denny’s was the problem here.