Michael Hansen Admits to Trying to Cut Off Mom's Head at Her Phoenix Sushi Restaurant | Valley Fever | Phoenix | Phoenix New Times | The Leading Independent News Source in Phoenix, Arizona
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Michael Hansen Admits to Trying to Cut Off Mom's Head at Her Phoenix Sushi Restaurant

The owner of a Phoenix sushi restaurant was stabbed by her son inside the establishment while people were eating there, police say.Michael Lee Hansen, 35, told police that he was trying to cut off his mother's head inside Sakura Sushi and Steakhouse earlier this week, according to court documents obtained...
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The owner of a Phoenix sushi restaurant was stabbed by her son inside the establishment while people were eating there, police say.

Michael Lee Hansen, 35, told police that he was trying to cut off his mother's head inside Sakura Sushi and Steakhouse earlier this week, according to court documents obtained by New Times.

Police found Hansen inside the restaurant -- located near the Phoenix-Scottsdale border, in the shopping center at Scottsdale Road and Loop 101 -- and officers noticed there also appeared to be some smashed computer equipment inside.

The owner was hospitalized for her knife wounds but was able to return to the scene later that day to give a detailed account to police.

She said she was sitting down in the restaurant when her son -- who also worked at the restaurant -- blind-sided her with a punch to the side of the head, knocking her unconscious.

She woke up in the kitchen, near the dish-washing equipment, and saw her son pull a knife on her and start to slash at her with the knife, according to the documents.

An employee saw part of this and saw Hansen holding a knife above his mother, asking where "the photo" was, the documents state.

Two other employees also witnessed the attack, including a chef who attempted to take the knife from Hansen and stop the attack, according to the documents.

A family that was eating at the restaurant was interviewed by police and said they heard the attack and heard the woman screaming, while another man eating there said he ran out of the restaurant when he saw Hansen running with a knife.

Hansen told police that he "attempted to cut his mother's head off with a knife he had obtained at the restaurant and failed to get his kill," a probable-cause statement says.

Hansen sort of explained what "the photo" was, saying that the whole incident was related to "pornographic photographs of him."

While Hansen was also hospitalized, he attempted to disassemble the hospital bed he was handcuffed to, and charged at the police officer there, according to the documents. Hansen was hit with a Taser so the officer could get him under control.

Then, after being cleared by hospital staff and taken to jail, Hansen, while his hands were handcuffed in front, put the chain of the handcuffs around another inmate's neck and started choking him, according to the court documents.

Jail staff broke it up, but police say the incident was caught on jail cameras.

After all was said and done, Hansen was booked into jail on one count of attempted murder, one count of criminal damage, and two counts of assault.


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Follow Matthew Hendley on Twitter at @MatthewHendley.


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