Man charged for grabbing clerk, assaulting police officer at Panera

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Matthew Warren

A 37-year-old man walks into a Chesterfield Township Panera restaurant making violent threats. He's accused of grabbing an employee and assaulting a police officer.

"He knows what he is doing, right from wrong," said Martha Sporer, mother of the accused. "He believes he is above the law."

The mother of Matthew Warren says she’s not surprised by what her son stands accused of doing.

FOX 2: "You thought he would have had some bad intentions had he got that gun?"

"Oh yes," Sporer said. "Oh yes. We're all afraid of him."

It was just before 7 a.m. Monday morning when Warren walked into the Panera on Gratiot in Chesterfield Township. Police say he went behind the counter, grabbed an employee by the waist and helped himself to a drink before sitting down at the table.

Police said Warren made several threats while at the Panera. The first directed at the employees saying "If you call police I will kill you."

Threats aside, police were called.

"Within seconds he threw his drink in the officer's face and indicated that he was going to kill the officer," said Chief Bradley Kersten, Chesterfield police.

During the scuffle, police said Warren went for the officer's gun.

"It was very clear to the officer that he was trying to pull his weapon and while he was doing it he kept saying I'm going to kill you," Kersten said.

By now back-up had arrived at the restaurant. All the while they said Warren fought for that gun.

"Their training kicked in they knew exactly what to do. And no one was hurt or injured," Kersten said.

His mother says all his life Warren has suffered from manic depression and bi-polar schizophrenia. Illnesses that caused his father to take his own life and has sent the 37-year-old in and out of treatment.

FOX 2: "He was left to his own accord and didn't want to take his medicine, is that what happened?"

Sporer: "Yes."

And she is worried it may happen again once he is back out.

"They can't just fix him and expect him to take his medicine because once he's better, he will quit," she said.

Warren is in jail, held on $100,000 surety bond. He's charged with attempt to disarm an officer, resisting arrest and assault.

His mom says there is one thing he most definitely needs:

"More treatment," Sporer said. "Because he's lethal. To himself and other people."