A 54-year-old man remained in jail Wednesday after he allegedly swung a pocket knife at two Gastonia police officers.

Alfred Mitchell Barnett faces two felony charges of assaulting a government official with a deadly weapon and a misdemeanor charge of resisting a public officer.

The incident began around 3 a.m. Monday on South Street in Gastonia.

According to a police report, an officer says he was trying to make contact with Barnett when the man began running toward his patrol car in an "aggressive manner" and with his fists raised.

The man reportedly didn't listen to officer commands, and pulled out a knife when an officer tried to arrest him, police say. The man then made "aggressive moves" toward the two officers and attempted to cut them, according to the report.

The Gaston Gazette, citing an arrest warrant, said police believe the man is homeless.

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McClatchy-Tribune News Service