A homeless man could have lost his life Monday night after he refused to put down a knife as he lurched toward a Tamaqua patrolman. Instead, thanks to a split second decision by the officer, the man was struck with Taser barbs.

It started with a call for a suspicious person at 6:52 p.m., when a neighbor saw a man climb through a window at 324 W. Broad St., Tamaqua. As one officer knocked on the front door of the supposedly vacant home, another officer went around the back. That officer, Rick Bekesy, saw a man on the enclosed front porch who fit the description provided by the neighbor. As Officer Bekesy approached the man, later identified as Anthony Louis Kehl, 47, he saw that Kehl was holding a large knife.Instead of dropping the knife as Bekesy ordered, Kehl raised the knife above his shoulder, continuing to lurch toward the officer. Bekesy warned him again before deploying his Taser.Kehl dropped to the ground, but resisted being handcuffed, keeping the knife under his body. Bekesy and Officer Michael Hobbs were finally able to subdue Kehl after he was Tasered again.In addition to the knife, officers recovered a dozen Xanax pills and a syringe.Kehl was charged with aggravated assault, criminal trespass, possession of an instrument of crime, simple assault, resisting arrest, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was transported to the Schuylkill County Prison to await video arraignment.