FARMINGTON – A former Farmington man pleaded guilty Tuesday to threatening to kill a Farmington police officer with a knife in November 2006.

Justice Michaela Murphy sentenced Victor Silva, 27, to a year in prison, all suspended, and two years of probation. He was ordered to take all prescribed medication and to continue psychological and psychiatric counseling as needed.

He was also ordered to not use illegal drugs and not to possess dangerous weapons, including knives. He is subject to random search and testing on both.

Silva’s attorney, Carol Webb, told the Franklin County Superior Court that Silva opted to voluntarily return to Riverview Psychiatric Center in Augusta. He will be placed in a residential program later, she said.

Assistant District Attorney Andrew Robinson said Silva, who was 24 at the time of the incident, was given the choice of which felony he would plead guilty to.

He chose the criminal threatening charge.

The other felony charge of reckless conduct was dismissed in a plea agreement as was misdemeanor charges of violating condition of release, refusing to submit to arrest or detention and in a separate case, unlawful possession of scheduled drug and violating condition of release.

If the case went to a hearing, Robinson said that officer Brian Ross would have testified that he responded to 204 Cascade Leisure Park in Farmington after Silva’s mother requested that her son be removed from the house.

He was being verbally abusive to his mother and wouldn’t leave the house, police said in 2006.

When Ross arrived at the home, the mother told police she thought her son had a knife and she was afraid he might become violent.

Ross grabbed Silva and put him a headlock and tried to pat him down to see if there was a knife. During the struggle Silva shrugged out of his leather jacket and reached under his clothing and pulled out a hunting knife with about an 8-inch blade, Robinson said.

Ross had taken out his pepper spray-style canister to try to subdue Silva.

The officer would testify Silva was brandishing a knife at him and yelling, “I don’t want to go back to jail,” Robinson said. Testimony would also indicate that he waving the knife in a cutting motion.

The officer feared for his life, Robinson said.

Ross had drawn his gun and told Silva he was going to kill him, he said.

Ross called for backup and Silva fled the residence and ran into the woods.

It was a dangerous moment for both of them, Robinson said, when the officer faced, for the first time in his career, a situation where he might have to kill a man, he said.

Police caught Silva behind a High Street complex. He was taken to Franklin Memorial Hospital for a mental health evaluation then taken to Spring Harbor, a mental health hospital.

Silva said he did not disagree with the evidence presented.