Man covered in blood tries to rob Sheetz in Hancock

July 19, 2008|By ERIN JULIUS

HANCOCK - A man who police say was covered in blood Thursday night when he tried to rob the Sheetz convenience store at 192 W. Main St. in Hancock faces several charges in the incident.

Daniel Nathan Robertson, 32, of 126 N. Pennsylvania Ave. in Hancock, was charged Friday with second-degree assault, robbery and other crimes.

A man later identified as Robertson allegedly went into the Sheetz at about 10:30 p.m. Thursday, jumped over the counter, took a pack of cigarettes from the shelf and started yelling and cursing, Hancock Police Chief T.J. Buskirk said.

The man also tried to get into the store's cash register, Buskirk alleged.

Store employees called 911 after the man threatened some employees, Buskirk said.

A Hancock police officer was close to the store, and he and a Maryland State Police trooper responded to the robbery in progress call, Buskirk said.

When officers tried to arrest the man, he "set off the fire extinguisher, went into a back room and barricaded himself in office space," Buskirk said.

Police called in a K-9 unit in case the man escaped and a dog was needed to track him, the chief said.

Eventually, the man surrendered, police said.

Four customers and three employees were treated at the scene or taken to Washington County Hospital because of exposure to the fire extinguisher chemicals, Buskirk said.

Robertson also was taken to the hospital. On Friday afternoon, he was being held at the Washington County Detention Center.

At about noon Friday, Robertson appeared before a Washington County District Court Commissioner, who set Robertson's bond at $75,000.

Police on Friday were trying to figure out why the man had been covered in blood.

"We believe that might have been from an earlier incident, altercation," Buskirk said.

During Robertson's hearing, his right hand appeared to be in a cast.

Robertson is to appear Monday in Washington County District Court for a bail review hearing.

He also is set to appear in court Aug. 13.

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