PARIS – A man pleaded not guilty Thursday to threatening an off-duty police officer with a padlock.

James Merton Knightly, 24, of 27 Egypt Road in Gray, remained in Oxford County Jail on $10,000 cash or $25,000 surety bail. Justice Robert E. Crowley agreed with Assistant District Attorney Joe O’Connor that the circumstances of the case and Knightly’s history necessitated a high bail.

According to an affidavit filed by Officer Timothy Reese of the Bethel Police Department, Knightly was arrested during the early morning hours of July 22. Reese had just gone off duty and was driving in his personal vehicle when he came upon a vehicle operating erratically on Route 26.

Reese stated that both he and Knightly eventually pulled over near Alder River Storage when Knightly approached Reese’s vehicle with clenched fists and a shiny object which Reese thought was a knife.

Reese said that Knightly did not stop his approach after he identified himself as a police officer and only halted when he drew his weapon. Knightly was then arrested by Officer Travis Fillmore of the Bethel Police Department.

According to Reese, Knightly threw the object away after stopping his approach. It was later recovered by a Maine State Police K-9 unit and found to be a large padlock fitted with a bandanna, which would allow it to be swung like a weapon.

Knightly was indicted in August on charges of criminal threatening and operating under the influence.

O’Connor said Knightly had served one year of a three-year sentence for eluding an officer and was on probation at the time of the incident.

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