Man Slashed Officer With Scissors After Being Kept Out Of Massapequa Bar, Police Say

MASSAPEQUA, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A man slashed a Nassau County police officer's cheek with a pair of scissors when he was refused entry to a bar this weekend, police said.

Detectives reported Robert Savage, 26, was denied entry to McCann's Bar and Grill in Massapequa around 9:50 p.m. Saturday because of his erratic behavior. Upon leaving, he damaged a windshield wiper on a party bus parked across the street from the bar, police said.

Savage was spotted walking on Clocks Boulevard and Ellen Street, and when officers tried to question him, Savage began struggling with Nassau County Officer Christian Sherlock and Sgt. Wendy Turner, police said.

"He tried to subdue him and to arrest him, and the individual pulled out a scissors," Acting Nassau County police Commissioner Patrick Ryder told WCBS 880.

Savage slashed the officer's cheek with the scissors, and tried to stab him in the neck, police said.

"A puncture wound was placed into his neck during the struggle," Ryder said.

The suspect also bit the sergeant in the neck, back and shoulder after being thrown to the ground, police said.

The officer used an electronic stun device on Savage and arrested him, police said.

"You know, most people – if they are, in fact, high on some kind of drugs – they usually do comply. We may have issues trying to get them under control," Ryder said. "This individual pulled out a pair of scissors and went right after the officer. And literally, it's one inch away that that scissors could have went through and killed that officer. We'd be having a different conversation today."

The officer and sergeant were treated and released from a hospital, and Savage was also hospitalized for an unrelated illness, police said.

Savage was charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, criminal possession of a weapon, resisting arrest, and assault, police said.