GREENFIELD — A 37-year-old Greenfield man was arrested early Monday morning on a number of charges, including drunken driving, after police say he fell asleep in the McDonald’s drive-thru and later tried to assault an officer with a knife.

Gary Michael Gauthier of Laurel Street was arraigned in Greenfield District Court Monday on charges of operating under the influence of alcohol for a second offense, assault with a dangerous weapon, resisting arrest, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, malicious destruction of property less than $250, marked lanes violation and failure to stop/yield.

According to a police report by Greenfield officer Emily Rowell, police were dispatched to the McDonald’s on the Mohawk Trail just before 2 a.m. for a report of a vehicle that had been sitting in the drive-thru for more than five minutes with the operator not responding to employees over the microphone. While on the phone with dispatch, the reporting party said the vehicle proceeded forward through the drive-thru with the operator “looking passed out,” continued into the road and crashed into a curb.

Upon arrival, Rowell wrote officers observed a white Ford van facing east with its two front tires up on the treebelt and its rear half-blocking the entire north lane of Robbins Road. The operator, later identified as Gauthier, was seated with his head slumped forward, no hands on the steering wheel and a puddle of saliva on his shirt, according to the report.

Officer Jeffery Soto was able to reach into the vehicle and put it in park, which woke up the operator, according to the report. Rowell wrote when she asked the man if he was OK, he responded by saying, “Of course I’m fine. I’m just sleeping in the McDonald’s drive-thru.” He repeated this statement several times, telling police he was just taking a nap in the drive-thru and was doing nothing wrong, according to the report.

Rowell noted Gauthier’s eyes were bloodshot and glossy and his tone of voice was confrontational. He told police he was coming from Belchertown where he had been working all day, according to the report. When asked whether he had any form of identification, Gauthier said that he did and proceeded to look for an item between the two front seats, despite the officers’ orders to stop what he was doing and show both his hands, according to the report.

Rowell wrote she saw Gauthier grab a leather knife sheath with a wooden handled knife inside it. She immediately ordered him to drop the knife, according to the report, but he began fumbling with the snap clasp on the handle until Rowell opened the driver’s side door and placed her hand over the still mostly sheathed knife handle so he couldn’t take it out any further.

Gauthier grasped at Rowell’s hand, forcing the metal curve of the handle into her right hand between the thumb and index finger, according to the report. Rowell wrote she quickly released her grip and stepped backward, still ordering Gauthier to drop the knife.

He continued to struggle with unsheathing the weapon and then threw the knife down on the floor of the van, turned his body sideways in the driver’s seat to completely face the officers and stuck his feet and one arm out the door, according to the report. Gauthier then jumped out of the vehicle and began reaching both his hands toward his back pockets.

Fearing he had more weapons, Rowell wrote officers were able to secure Gauthier’s hands behind his back after a short struggle, handcuff him and place him in a cruiser. He was held at the Franklin County jail without bail until his arraignment Monday morning.

Gauthier was released on personal recognizance and ordered to abstain from alcohol and drugs with screens. He is due back in court Sept. 8 for a pretrial conference.

You can reach Aviva Luttrell at: aluttrell@recorder.com
or 413-772-0261, ext. 268
On Twitter: @AvivaLuttrell