A Sampson County man has found out the hard way that threats, a knife and a school campus are a recipe for jail.

Elwood Merritt, 44, of 305 Pleasant St., Roseboro was still behind bars Wednesday afternoon, charged with resisting a public officer, communicating threats and having a weapon on educational property after an incident at Roseboro-Salemburg Middle School Monday night.

His bond has been set at $12,500.

Sheriff’s Cpl. Marcus Smith said Merritt was taken into custody after getting out of his car wielding a bowie knife and making statements to coaches who had just returned to the campus after a baseball game.

“They were just getting back from the ball game and the students had left with their appropriate rides. The coaches noticed a suspicious car parked near one of their vehicles, and as they approached it a man got out holding a bowie know and said he needed to talk to one of them,” Smith explained.

Smith said Merritt reportedly made a threatening remark to one of the coaches, but the other intervened, calming the suspect down. Officers were called but by the time they arrived at the school, the suspect had left.

Warrants were taken out and Merritt was picked up at his residence by officers. He was charged and jailed.

No further details were provided, and no court date was listed on reports.