A judge convicted a Lawrence man today of threatening a police officer by waving a samurai sword at him, and the judge said police used “great restraint” in not shooting the man.

After a half-day bench trial in Douglas County District Court, Judge Stephen N. Six convicted Dennis D. Riley, 54, of aggravated assault on Shannon Riggs, a Lawrence police officer. Six acquitted Riley of aggravated assault on another officer, Jamie Emerson. The judge found Emerson did fear for his safety but that it wasn’t proven Emerson was in “reasonable apprehension of great bodily harm.”

The incident happened June 25 in the 500 block of Minnesota Street.

Six also convicted Riley of aggravated assault on a neighbor and battery on Riggs, and found Riley not guilty of two counts of criminal damage to property.