ANTIOCH -- A 22-year-old man was charged Wednesday with assaulting a police officer with a deadly weapon among various other charges after an incident involving a knife and a stolen vehicle early Tuesday morning, according to Antioch police.

Francis Ryan Butler, who according to police is a transient, was arrested after a traffic stop at about 12:55 a.m. Tuesday in the 2100 block of Banyan Way.

The officers recognized the driver as Butler, who they knew was on probation for drug possession. They learned that his driver's license was suspended, and asked if he was the owner of the vehicle, a 1994 Acura, according to police.

Butler claimed he purchased the car a couple days earlier, but had no proof of purchase of the vehicle, police said. The officers also searched his pockets and found three credit cards, some of which were found to be connected to a residential burglary in Oakley.

One of the officers approached Butler and told him to place his hands behind his back, but Butler leaned forward and grabbed a butterfly knife from his right ankle, jumped to his feet and turned toward the nearest officer, according to police.

A struggle ensued, and Butler dropped the knife and was eventually placed into handcuffs, police said. Neither Butler nor the officers suffered significant injuries in the struggle.

Butler later claimed in an interview with police that he was not trying to assault the officer and was just trying to discard the knife.

The registered owner of the vehicle later contacted police and told them that the Acura had been stolen from Pleasant Hill while she was out of the country, according to police.

Butler was taken to the county jail in Martinez, and on Wednesday he was charged by the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office with assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer, vehicle theft, possession of stolen property, possession of stolen credit cards, and violation of probation.

Butler also has three additional cases pending against him, including two separate charges of transportation and possession for sale of methamphetamine, and two separate vehicle theft charges, according to police.