A Rome man remains in the Polk County Jail with bond denied after an early morning Christmas Eve incident where he struggled with an officer who was trying to remove a knife from his pocket, and was punched several times in the process.

Polk County Police reported that Ryan Scott McCrickard, 33, of 2 Lakeland Drive, Rome, was found in a field on North Bellview Road near the intersection with Anderson Road off Highway 101 away from his car and acting in what police described as an erratic manner. He at first told police that he was being chased by police when he crashed – though no reports of a chase were made at the time, per the PCPD report and follow-up with the Polk County Sheriffs Office.

McCrickard then began to film the responding officer with his phone, shined a flashlight in his face and made accusations that there were additional men in the trees and he was being “set up.”

Police noted no one else was around at the time, and became suspicious that McCrickard might have a weapon on him. Police asked if he did, and he admitted he had a knife in his right pocket.

The officer began to search, and when he didn’t find a knife continued to question. Then he felt it in a left pocket, and McCrickard tried to go for the knife at the same time and a struggle ensued.

Reports indicated that during the struggle, the officer saw the blade and “I gave the male subject 3-5 closed left fist strikes to the head. This rendered the male unconscious.” The officer threw the knife away immediately.

An Aragon Police officer arrived to help with the arrest, and McCrickard awoke just as he was being taken into custody and struggled again until finally he was cuffed.

McCrickard was taken to Polk Medical Center to be checked out for any injuries before being taken to the Polk County Jail. The officer noted that McCrickard told police following their fight that “he should’ve listened.”

“Ryan advised that he did not use any drugs, but he stated he did not feel safe,” the report stated.

While being checked out at the hospital, McCrickard told police he was afraid he might have killed someone in Rome. Floyd County Police did a safety check and found no one was hurt at the address he provided.

The owner of the property later reported to Polk County Police that $250 worth of damage was done by McCrickard driving through crops in the field.

McCrickard remained in the Polk County Jail after the early morning Christmas Eve incident.

He was charged with felonies for aggravated assault, possession of a firearm or knife during commission of or attempt to commit certain felonies, second degree criminal damage to property and obstructing law enforcement officers.

McCrickard also faces misdemeanor charges of too fast for conditions, failure to stop at stop sign and failure to maintain lane.