A man was charged Friday after police said he threatened to harm multiple people in downtown DeKalb, including an official at City Hall and police officers, and at one point brandishing a broken scissor blade, court records show.

Ronny W. Reynolds, who’s homeless, has been charged with one count of threatening public officials, a Class 3 felony, according to DeKalb County court records. He’s also charged with three misdemeanors: aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, obstructing a police officer and disorderly conduct. If convicted of the felony, he could face up to five years in prison.

Police Chief David Byrd said Friday that the charges came after officers tried for days to de-escalate an ongoing situation with Reynolds, who he said has a history of mental illness and interactions with police.

About 7:30 p.m. Thursday, DeKalb police responded to the 400 block of East Lincoln Highway after a man said Reynolds threatened him and others with a broken scissor blade, according to court records.

Earlier in the day, Reynolds had allegedly gone into City Hall downtown and made verbal threats to a city official while in the foyer of the building’s ground level, Byrd said. He also threatened to “throw an ax” at police officers, according to records.

“We attempted to deploy our social worker resources from within the DeKalb Police Department, so they were in contact with him as well,” Byrd said Friday. “They were working with the individual for several days trying to at least assist him the best that they could.”

Police issued a citywide emergency alert at 9:10 p.m. Thursday asking the public to avoid the area of Fourth Street and East Lincoln Highway “until further notice for police activity.” A second alert at 10:12 p.m. announced that the road was reopened.

“We just wanted to make sure that we let the community know to stay out of the area if possible, because when you’re dealing with someone who is dealing with a mental health episode, they can be unpredictable,” Byrd said.

The alerts came after a man called police and said that another man – later identified as Reynolds – wrapped in an American flag, wearing a purple hat and one sandal, “pulled out a knife on him while he was talking to two other people,” police wrote in a court synopsis.

Reynolds told two of the men that he was going “to make them leak,” according to court records.

The man told police that he believed his life was in danger. He threatened to use pepper spray on Reynolds and then walked away.

When DeKalb police made contact with Reynolds downtown and tried to approach him, he threatened them with harm, according to court records. He told police that he was “homicidal” and would “use force” if they did, records show.

“Ronny made a statement that if he was going to die, then an officer was going to die as well,” police wrote in the synopsis.

About an hour after police arrived, Reynolds threw the scissor blade on the ground and tried to walk away, ignoring police commands to stop, according to records. Officers deployed what they called a “less lethal” weapon and arrested Ronny. Byrd said Friday that the weapon used was similar to a “bean bag projectile.”

“De-escalation practices are extremely important to law enforcement,” Byrd said, “because we don’t want to treat someone who’s dealing with an illness like they’re a criminal until they commit a criminal act, which, unfortunately, he did, and then at that point we have to handle accordingly.”

Reynolds is being held without release at the DeKalb County Jail pending trial after a Friday ruling by Circuit Court Judge Marcy Buick at the request of prosecutors, records show.

State’s Attorney Riley Oncken said he was happy with the decision.

“The state’s attorney’s office is pleased with Judge Buick’s decision to detain Mr. Reynolds based upon concerns from law enforcement and our office that his release would pose a real and present threat to the safety of the community,” Oncken said.

DeKalb County Public Defender Chip Criswell, whose office has been assigned to defend Reynolds in court, declined to comment.

Reynolds is next due in court at 9 a.m. Dec. 22 in front of Buick. He also was ordered to undergo a fitness evaluation.