SLIPPERY ROCK — What's in a name?

Apparently a lot to Randall B. Boyles III.

Police suspect the 23-year-old Boyles became so angry with a fellow employee for calling him by his given name — rather than his preferred nickname — that he pulled a knife on the other man.

The armed altercation played out this month in front of a customer at the Sheetz store on South Main Street in Slippery Rock, police said. No one was injured.

“It's kind of a unique motive,” Police Lt. Brian Hoak acknowledged.

On Monday, Hoak charged Boyles of Chester, Pa., a student at Slippery Rock University, with aggravated assault, terroristic threats, reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct.

Investigators admit they were a bit befuddled over what apparently precipitated the clash about 2:45 p.m. July 4 between Boyles and co-worker Brett S. Brown, 21, also an SRU student.

“Boyles got upset at Brown for calling him by his real first name (Randall), instead of 'Rann,' which he prefers,” court documents said.

Boyles grabbed a steak knife at the store's MTO counter and pinned Brown against the cash register.

He placed the weapon, which Hoak described as having a serrated blade and rounded tip, to Brown's neck.

“Call me Randall one more time,” Boyles warned, “and I'll cut your (expletive) eyeballs out,” according to a police affidavit.

Another employee saw the confrontation, which happened in front of a customer, and told investigators he heard Boyles threaten Brown for calling him by his given name.

“(The other employee),” documents said, “thought that Boyles and Brown were just kidding one another.”

The fracas, police said, was captured on store surveillance video.

“I've heard quite a few motives in my time,” Hoak said. “What makes someone do what they do? You never know.”

Police planned to arraign Boyles on charges today at the office of District Judge Tim Shaffer, where he also was to appear for a preliminary hearing on unrelated drunken driving charges.

Authorities noted that Boyles was fired from Sheetz following the Fourth of July fracas.