W. Bennett

D. Bennett

ELKINS — Twin brothers are facing multiple charges after allegedly threatening the lives of multiple people, including a Randolph County Sheriff’s Deputy.

Dennis Lee Bennett, 43, of Philippi, is charged with two counts of wanton endangerment and two counts of conspiracy to commit wanton endangerment with a firearm. Bond was set at $10,000 cash only by Randolph County Magistrate Tracy Harper.

Walter James Bennett, 43, of Mill Creek, is charged with two counts of wanton endangerment and two counts of conspiracy to commit wanton endangerment with a firearm, and one count of retaliation against public officers and employees, jurors and witnesses. Bond was set at $10,000 cash only by Harper.

Both men are being held in Tygart Valley Regional Jail.

According to the criminal complaint, prepared by Deputy Z.T. Pingley, officers responded to an emergency call about two men allegedly pointing a gun at homeowners in Mill Creek at approximately 8:40 p.m. Wednesday.

Pingley said he was the first officer on the scene, and after seeing five people outside the house, he “took cover behind a large tree and drew my firearm,” the complaint states. People on the porch yelled that two men in the grass had a pistol. Pingley said he told the Bennett brothers, the men in the grass, to raise their hands.

“Both brothers initially refused to comply,” Pingley wrote. “Walter Bennett yelled several threats, including, ‘I’m going to kill you,’ ‘You’ll need more than one of you to take me.'”

Pingley was able to get the brothers to stand on the main road and raise their hands, according to the report.

“I commanded both individuals to go to their stomachs on the road and they complied … while attempting to secure Walter Bennett and remove the firearm he stated, ‘If you don’t get your knee off my back, I’m going to use that gun and kill you,'” the report states.

Pingley removed a Taurus PT140 from a holster on Walter Bennett’s side and unloaded the weapon, according to the criminal complaint. Pingley later learned the pistol belonged to Walter Bennett’s wife.

The residents of the house told officers they didn’t know the Bennett brothers, the complaint states. They said a white Chevy Trailblazer “pulled into their property and began spinning tires in their yard.” One of the homeowners went outside and Walter Bennett allegedly pointed the pistol at him.

The residents said both Bennetts “began threatening to kill” the property owner who walked outside, the police report states. The man went to the porch of the house and the brothers followed him across the yard and then allegedly pointed the gun at a female property owner as well.

The Bennett brothers allegedly told the woman to call 911 “because you’ll need them,” according to the report.