A dramatic scene unfolded at an East San Jose restaurant Saturday as a SWAT team spent nearly three hours trying to lure out a man who had barricaded himself inside.
The suspect, who police called Daniel, went into Pandora Café around 6 p.m., police said. The restaurant owner’s brother said he burst into the eatery via a rear door, went through the kitchen and began threatening customers.
"He started throwing glasses at customers and struck an employee," said witness Anthony Nastasi.
About a dozen people ran out of the restaurant and responding officers, who evacuated a handful of nearby businesses on the 1100 block of North Capitol Avenue, began coaxing the suspect to come out.
It wasn’t until officers used a flash grenade that Daniel emerged through the broken doorway, shouting profanities and without any clothes on.
After firing beanbags at Daniel, police also released a police dog that latched onto his arm. The man, however, punched the animal repeatedly until a Taser took him down.
After police surrounded and subdued Daniel, paramedics took him to Regional Medical Center around 9 p.m. and people were allowed back into their evacuated businesses.
