Man accused of swinging knife at bar owner subdued
By Jessica Stithof The Daily Times Staff
Originally published: February 25. 2008 3:01AM
Last modified: February 25. 2008 1:05AM
The owner of Naterz Sports Grill accused a customer of swinging a knife at him when he asked the patron to leave early Sunday morning. The bar owner wrestled the patron to the ground, which resulted in the customer's leg breaking.
Maryville Police Chief Tony Crisp said the incident is still being investigated, and although no one has been arrested, charges are still possible.
Maryville Police Officer Laramy Gregory responded at 3:17 a.m. Sunday to the report of a disturbance involving a knife at Naterz Sports Grill, 510 N. Foothills Plaza Drive, Maryville. Blount County Sheriff's Deputy Matt Fagiana also responded to assist at the scene.
Upon arrival, Gregory reported that Tedi Cvitkovic, the owner of the bar, was holding down a man in a field beside the bar. Cvitkovic was sitting on the back of a man later identified as William Isadore Sharkey, 30, Doll Avenue, Maryville.
"Mr. Cvitkovic advised me that Mr. Sharkey had pulled a knife on him and swung at him," Gregory reported.
Gregory reported that Sharkey was "crying out in pain" and said his leg was hurting. Once Cvitkovic stood up, Gregory said it appeared that the lower half of Sharkey's leg "was moving independently from the upper half" of his leg. The officer immediately called for an ambulance.
Officers searched Sharkey and located a silver push button knife in his pant pocket, the report said. Rural/Metro Ambulance service then arrived on the scene and took Sharkey to Blount Memorial Hospital.
Cvitkovic told officers that Sharkey "became aggressive" toward two Naterz employees when they asked him to leave. He said Sharkey had been drinking and refused an offer by the employees to get him a cab, the report said.
The bar owner reported that Sharkey refused to leave when the two employees told him to. The owner then again asked Sharkey to leave the property, "at which point Mr. Sharkey pulled a knife from his pocket and began swinging it at Mr. Cvitkovic."
Cvitkovic said Sharkey made "several swiping motions with the knife" and then put it back into his pocket. He said Sharkey then approached him with an outreached hand.
The bar owner reported that he was still in fear of what Sharkey would do with the knife. He said he put Sharkey in a neck hold and wrestled him to the ground in an attempt to control him, the report said.
Gregory reported that two witness statements matched the statement of Cvitkovic.
The officer then responded to BMH where Sharkey was being treated for a broken leg. Gregory reported that the break was consistent with "the movement of twisting a person to the ground."
He reported that Sharkey had a strong odor of alcohol on him, and Sharkey told the officer that he had drank about six beers.
A BMH representative said Sharkey was in stable condition on Sunday night.
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