A man accused of assaulting others at a California McDonald’s was arrested during a nearly four-hour long standoff with police, which included him putting a K-9 in a headlock, authorities said.
While inside the fast food restaurant on Sunday. Nov. 13 in Terra Linda, Robert Michael Chernoff, 35, is accused of verbally threatening and assaulting customers and an employee, according to a news release from the San Rafael Police Department.
Chernoff attacked others “with an unknown aerosol spray, used hand strikes, and also attempted to stab them with a knife,” police said.
San Rafael police arrived and found Chernoff outside the McDonald’s, according to the release. He refused to cooperate and would not drop the knife.
Officers evacuated the McDonald’s along with the “surrounding area,” police said. Marin County Sheriff’s Office deputies assisted in creating a “safety perimeter” that called for the closure of three nearby streets.
Over the next nearly four hours, officials continued to try to “convince Chernoff to surrender peacefully,” police said.
“Chernoff instead continued to be uncooperative and became increasingly agitated,” according to police.
Police said it seemed unlikely Chernoff would cooperate and they created an “arrest response team.”
When Chernoff continued to ignore warnings and refused to listen to police, the arrest team decided to use “less-than-lethal munitions” and a police K-9, the release said.
“Chernoff was bit by the police K-9, broke free, and then placed the K-9 into a headlock where it appeared he was trying to choke the dog,” San Rafael police said.
He “remained uncooperative,” and officers used a Taser to stop him, police said. He was then taken into custody and treated at a hospital for the dog bite on his arm.
Chernoff was booked into jail on multiple charges, including felony assault with a deadly weapon/knife, felony criminal threats and misdemeanor assault, police said.
No one else was injured, according to police.
“The police K9 did not suffer significant injury other than a small scuff to the dog’s nose,” police said.
San Rafael is about 20 miles northwest of San Francisco.
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