By Sentinel Staff
A Sitka man was arrested Monday on felony counts of assault and terroristic threatening for allegedly threatening fellow boat crew members, passersby and police officers, police said.
Nicholas Bryant, 30, is being held pending arraignment today.
Police said a 911 caller reported at 8:15 p.m. Monday that an intoxicated man was on a boat in Thomsen Harbor brandishing a knife and threatening the lives of fellow crew members and passersby on the dock.
Bryant also was reported to be in possession of a firearm, police said.
When officers arrived, they tried to make contact with Bryant, who was inside the boat “in an aggravated and confrontational state,” police said in a news release.
“Bryant then threatened both the lives of the officers and anyone in the vicinity of where the vessel was moored,” the news release said.
Officers cordoned off a portion of the harbor for the safety of the public, as Bryant refused to get off the boat or comply with police instructions.
After Bryant continued to threaten officers, a single round of nonlethal pepper spray was deployed on the deck of the vessel. Bryant then got off the boat and was taken into custody without incident, police said.
Bryant was charged with two counts of terroristic threatening in the second degree and two counts of assault in the third degree. All charges are class C felonies.
He was awaiting arraignment at press time today.
