Santa Rosa man arrested for assaulting deputy, drug possession

A close up shot of a pair of handcuffs on a table.

A 43-year-old Santa Rosa man who reportedly heard demons and struck a responding deputy Thursday was arrested for felony assault and narcotics possession, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office said.

Deputies responded to the 4800 block of Trenton Road in Santa Rosa about 10:25 a.m. to reports of a man "hitting trees and talking about demons," the office said in an announcement.

The man, Jason Ancic, "was very animated and began telling the deputies about demons and how he was trying to get rid of them," the office said. "The deputies listened and spoke with Ancic to de-escalate the situation."

Ancic consented to a deputy's request to search him for weapons, the office said, but then pulled away and tried to flee. As they struggled, a deputy was injured and later received medical care, officials said.

More deputies were called to the scene and Ancic was taken into custody and transported to an area hospital for evaluation.

A search of his car turned up a pill bottle containing suspected methamphetamine, officials said.

Ancic was arrested for resisting arrest, possession of narcotics, felony battery on an officer, and assault.