Man Displayed Knife To West Hempstead 7-Eleven Employee: Police

WEST HEMPSTEAD, NY — A man was arrested after Nassau police said he flashed a knife at a 7-Eleven employee in West Hempstead.

Officers were called to a 7-Eleven, at 136 Hempstead Turnpike, at 2:45 a.m. Saturday for a report of a disturbance. The 21-year-old employee told officers that Charles Grandberry, 58 of Freeport, had been throwing everything around inside the store, police said.

The employee tried to restrain Grandberry by holding his bicycle until officers arrived, but Grandberry became aggressive and displayed a black and orange folding knife, police said. The employee got scared and let go, and then watched Grandberry travel east on Hempstead Turnpike toward Hempstead, police said.

Officers found Grandberry in the Home Depot parking lot located at 172 Fulton Avenue a short time later, police said. Grandberry was placed into custody without incident, police said. As officers recovered the knife, a crack pipe fell to the ground, and Grandberry began stepping on it to destroy it, police said. The pipe contained a white powdery substance believed to be crack cocaine along with a burn residue, police said. There were no injuries reported, police said.

Grandberry was charged with third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, tampering with evidence, seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, second-degree menacing with a weapon, and false personation.

Granberry has 63 prior arrests, 12 of which were felonies, police said.