Raul Banks, 35, of Paterson dropped the cheese and broke free after the worker grabbed him on Lincoln Avenue, Chief Dean Ackermann told Daily Voice.
Soon after, Glen Rock Police Officer T.J. Graziani collared Banks, with help from Fair Lawn and Hawthorne police, the chief said.
Witnesses and store video surveillance confirmed the theft, he added.
Banks was charged with shoplifting and released pending a hearing.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Pascack Valley and receive free news updates.