Knife-wielding downtown Bend transient arrested

A 37-year-old transient who approached a Bend police officer with a large folding pocket knife this week was arrested on a menacing charge and issued a civil exclusion notice for Drake Park, officers said Thursday.

Christopher Wagner “had been verbally aggressive toward officers the past four days, escalating his behavior toward the police each day,” Lt. Clint Burleigh said in a news release.

Around 10:25 a.m. on Tuesday, Wagner approached an officer at Drake Park with the knife in his hand and the blade extended, Burleigh said, adding that he “was uttering statements that were not making sense while approaching the officer.”

Wagner got within 35 feet of the officer at one point, with the knife out, as the officer asked him several times to drop the weapon.

Wagner eventually walked away from the officer and threw the knife on the ground, Burleigh said. He continued walking a short distance before stopping in the Mirror Pond South parking lot.

The officer was able to take Wagner into custody without further incident, Burleigh said. He was issued a civil exclusion notice for the park and taken to the Deschutes County Jail on a menacing charge, a Class A misdemeanor.

Wagner was released from jail that afternoon pending an Aug. 19 court date, jail officers said.

Burleigh said Bend police have increased patrols in downtown Bend this summer, including Drake Park.

“We are committed to ensuring the area is a safe place for the community to recreate and visit,” he added.