CLEVELAND — A Rowan County Sheriff’s Office checkpoint attracted a lot of attention Tuesday night. The stop was at the intersection of Third Creek Church and Foster roads. Deputies reported that soon after the checkpoint opened, a blue Dodge Neon approached from Cleveland.

The vehicle began to run off the road, plowed through a ditch and came to rest in a nearby hay field. As they approached the vehicle, deputies saw a black male in the passenger seat and saw a white male — a Jared Jancic, “diving” into the backseat of the car. Deputies told Jancic they knew he had been driving, and issued a citation for driving with license revoked.

A short time later, deputies arrested William Sylvester Lytle, Jr., 23.  According to reports, a silver-colored Honda passed through the checkpoint. Lytle was in the passenger seat. While deputies were talking to the driver, they reported smelling a faint odor of marijuana. A K-9 unit sniffed the vehicle and found a hit. Lytle was asked to step out of the vehicle for a search. According to reports, Lytle had a bottle in one pocket that rattled. When asked what he had in his pocket, Lytle said, “None of your damn business.”

Lytle then allegedly shifted his weight, spun around and threw a punch at the deputy, striking him in the wrist. He allegedly attempted to strike the deputy several times, struggled out of a hold and ran into a wheat field. He was chased into a nearby yard, where he was tackled by deputies, who reported that Lytle was “extremely aggressive.” Deputies used a Taser, and found crack cocaine in the right pocket of Lytle’s cargo pants.

Lytle was arrested and taken to the magistrate’s office and charged with resist, obstruct and delaying a public officer, assault on a government official, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession with intent to sell and deliver crack cocaine. He was placed in the Rowan County Detention Center under a $7,500 bond.