Fans Brawl With Cops During Shaq's Appearance At One Of His Big Chicken Restaurants

Fans trying to get a glimpse of Shaquille O'Neal at the Big Chicken restaurant in Hartland, Michigan, last week had front row seats to a brawl involving cops.

A trio waiting outside ended up going toe-to-toe with officers after others in the crowd "overheard some comments that led them to believe that the one guy had a pistol in his backpack," reports FOX 2.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 18: Shaquille O'Neal, NBA star and Carnival Cruise Line’s Chief Fun Officer, gives guests a taste of his highly-anticipated dishes that will be offered at sea as part of Big Chicken at Mardi Gras’ Summer Landing zone at Pier 59 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Carnival Cruise Line)

A Livingston County Sheriff's deputy responded to the reports of a pistol, which turned out to be a bb gun made to look like a pistol, by calling for backup and asking 21-year-old William Prieto and two women that were with him to leave.

Rather than leaving, Prieto squares up on the deputy. As deputies attempted to move the three away from the restaurant, the situation escalated. A brawl with tasers and a cop being clothes-lined then breaks out.

"I mean, what are we supposed to do? Are we supposed to let this, you know, 250-pound guy, you know, beat up my deputy for whatever reason," Livingston County Sheriff Michael Murphy said of the situation. "That's not the way it works."

A trip to Shaq's Big Chicken restaurant turns into a trip to jail for three fans who decided to brawl with cops

Deputies deployed two tasers on Prieto during the altercation, to little effect. He was able to knock one of the deputies to the ground with a clothes-line before being arrested.

Nobody was reportedly hurt, but arrested along with Prieto was 21-year-old Abigail Strong and her mom, 48-year-old, Holly Strong. He was charged with carrying a concealed weapon, along with resisting and for being a habitual offender.

The two women were both charged with three counts of resisting officers. So much for a trip to the Big Chicken for a glimpse at Shaq without brawling with cops and being taken to jail.

For these three, that was a bridge too far.