Man throwing rock, threatening to stab people chased into SLO lake, police say
A man was arrested at Laguna Lake in San Luis Obispo after he allegedly threatened to stab people, kicked a police K-9 and spit in an officer’s face.
On Tuesday evening, 30-year-old Jyerick Zane Nebeker allegedly threatened to stab people with scissors or a knife on a park trail, the San Luis Obispo Police Department said in a news release Wednesday.
Then, Nebeker reportedly picked up a rock and threw it at a 51-year-old, but missed, according to police. Nebeker allegedly then picked up the rock again and followed the person. Police said Nebeker also threatened the person with the scissors.
Multiple people called 911 to report his activity.
When officers arrived on the scene at about 5:15 p.m., they found Nebeker with a pair of scissors, the release said. When officers tried to detain him, he ran away, according to the release.
Officers struck Nebeker with a “rubber baton projectile round” and pepper spray to try to detain him, but he jumped into the south end of Laguna Lake and hid in the reeds, the department said.
He refused to come out, so officers sent a K-9 into the reeds after him. Nebeker kicked the dog, and the dog bit him on his left leg, police said.
“Officers intervened and arrested him on the shore,” the release said.
Police blocked off the area with caution tape, and a crowd of people formed to watch the arrest as the sun went down.
Nebeker was transferred to a local hospital to treat the dog bite.
“While at the hospital, Nebeker continued to fight and spit into the face of one of the officers,” the release said.
When Nebeker was medically cleared, he was booked into the San Luis Obispo County Jail without bail.
He was arrested on suspicion of charges of felony assault with great bodily injury, felony resisting arrest, felony probation violation, misdemeanor battery of a police officer, misdemeanor brandishing a deadly weapon and misdemeanor harming a peace officer dog, the release said.
Nebeker did not physically harm the 51-year-old when he allegedly threw the rock and threatened them with scissors. However, because the 51-year-old “believed their life was in great danger,” Penal Code 245 applied to the incident, so police could charge Nebeker with felony assault with great bodily injury, police department spokesperson Christine Wallace told The Tribune.
He was still being held at the jail on Wednesday afternoon, according to the Sheriff’s booking log.
This story was originally published February 25, 2026 at 12:57 PM.
