James Lee Dwight Swift, 28, of the 4200 block of Tioga Way pleaded no contest Friday in Jackson County Circuit Court to a misdemeanor charge of menacing.

Police said Swift threatened his victim June 2 with the man’s own pocket knife, demanding he hand over money won playing video poker.

Prosecutors agreed to drop a charge of first-degree robbery — which carries a minimum prison sentence of seven years and six months — because they would have had a difficult time proving the crime, Swift’s defense attorney Lindsay Fowler said.

In fact, police could not locate the victim to testify, said Tim Barnack, deputy district attorney for Jackson County.

Swift was arrested when officers stumbled upon an unusual scene near Crater Lake Highway and Cardinal Avenue, Medford police Lt. Mike Moran said.

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The victim was attempting to threaten Swift with nunchucks as Swift tried to hide in the back of a friend’s car, Moran said.

The victim told police that Swift asked to borrow his pocket knife and then pressed it to his neck.

He told the victim to hand over $400 won earlier that day at the Time Out Sports Bar in Medford, where the two had been hanging out with another friend.

Swift ran away with the money, but the victim caught up with him, police said.

Swift disagreed with the police version, saying he told the victim to "get out of his face or there would be a fight."

He also pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of methamphetamine.

Police said Swift had two plastic bags of the stimulant when arrested.

Circuit Court Judge Lorenzo Mejia ordered Swift to serve a year and six months on probation and pay $700 in fines.