A 21-year-old sailor from Naval Base Kitsap is being charged with assault after allegedly fighting with police officers on a Bainbridge Island ferry Sunday morning.

Andrew P. Mclemore, 21, remains in Kitsap County Jail on $50,000 bail for a charge of third-degree assault after he allegedly attacked and fought with a Bainbridge Island police officer and a deputy from the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office.

Mclemore is stationed at Bangor at Naval Base Kitsap.

Law enforcement officers were called to the Bainbridge ferry terminal after a fight broke out among military members while the ferry was on its way to the island on the 2:10 a.m. March 3 boat from Seattle. Police reports said that some of the men had threatened to shoot others.

“There was a large fight between two large groups of intoxicated individuals while the ferry was en-route,” said Sheriff’s Deputy Scott Wilson.

Police from Bainbridge Island, Poulsbo and Suquamish, as well as Kitsap deputies and troopers from the Washington State Patrol, responded to the call.

“When law enforcement agencies got on board, they were trying to figure out who was who,” Wilson said.

Once docked, officers began talking to witnesses and potential suspects. One man, Mclemore, was not involved in the original altercation on the ferry but refused to leave.

Police reports state that Mclemore appeared highly intoxicated.

“(Officers) ended up dealing with this one individual,” Wilson said. “He was essentially trying to pick a fight.”

As a ferry worker asked Mclemore to leave, he stared into space before letting loose with a stream of obscenities. He then allegedly began swearing at Deputy Will Sapp, who told Mclemore to leave the boat.

Mclemore then took a “fighting stance,” however, and continued to aggressively yell and curse at Sapp, according to police reports.

Once the deputy began to approach Mclemore, he started to leave the ferry but continued to scream obscenities. Sapp then walked up to Mclemore on the catwalk of the ferry. Mclemore swung around with his fist at Sapp, and the deputy pushed Mclemore away to avoid the punch.

Mclemore then pushed Sapp back against a metal gate.

Bainbridge Officer Trevor Ziemba ran to assist Sapp and pushed Mclemore against a wall. The two men then were face-to-face, and Mclemore swung his elbow and struck Ziemba in the face.

Ziemba called for help.

“Take him to the ground,” Ziemba said, according to police reports.

Sapp and other officers assisted, and once Mclemore was on the ground, he continued to scream obscenities and resisted officers, grabbed at them and tried to pull away.

Within two minutes of the alleged assault, Mclemore was placed into handcuffs.

Ziemba was treated at the scene for a swollen jaw.

Mclemore was immediately transported to the Kitsap County Jail.