A 43-year-old man is in the Ada County facing a number of charges, after Meridian Police say he threatened a driver with a knife.
About noon on Tuesday, a female motorist was driving north on Main Street at State Street when, a police report says, a man -– later identified as David Criss -- bolted out in front of her car, causing her to apply her brakes to avoid hitting him. “Criss then stood in front of the victim’s car and pulled out a lockblade-style pocket knife and held it up in a threatening manner stating something similar to ‘You should have run me over,’ said Meridian Police Deputy Chief Tracy Basterrechea.
Criss then continued across the street, where he rummaged in several garbage cans. “The victim called 9-1-1 and followed Criss in her vehicle. (Criss) walked by the Meridian Elementary School and leaned on the fence,” Basterrechea stated. Meridian Police put Meridian Elementary and the nearby Boys and Girls Club on what’s called “shelter-in-place,” meaning students were brought indoors, and were not allowed to leave their classrooms while school leaders locked all exterior doors as a precuation.
When police arrived, Criss was sitting on the curb at W. Washington and NW First Streets. “Criss was clearly under the influence -- and officers discovered methamphetamine on his person as well as syringes. Officers also recovered the knife which had been placed in the trash cans on Main and State,” said Basterrechea.
Criss was arrested for aggravated assault (a felony), possession of methamphetamine (also a felony), and misdemeanor charges of possession of drug paraphernalia, interrupting the educational process, and being a pedestrian under the influence.
Criss will likely be arraigned Wednesday afternoon.
