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BUCKHANNON -- An Upshur County man faces intimidation of a witness and domestic battery charges after allegedly attacking a family member and telling her she would “regret” having him arrested.
Willard Thomas Wiant, 32, is charged with one count of intimidation of and retaliation against a witness, a felony. He is also charged with one count of domestic battery and one count of destruction of property, both misdemeanors. Waint was being held on $10,000 property/surety bond for the felony charge and $5,000 property/surety bond for the misdemeanor charges, which have both since been posted.
According to the criminal complaint filed by Cpl. Dakota Linger with the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office, on Sept. 20, Linger and Deputy Frazier were dispatched to a residence in reference to a “verbal family altercation.”
Upon arrival, Linger spoke with the alleged victim, who said Wiant came to her residence intoxicated, the complaint states. She stated that they got into a verbal argument and she asked Wiant to leave. Wiant allegedly became angry and threatened to kill the alleged victim.
The alleged victim said Wiant told her he would “knock her teeth down her throat,” according to the complaint. The alleged victim also told officers that, as Wiant was leaving, he allegedly slammed the door against her arm several times, causing an injury and bending the metal latch on the door.
Linger writes in the complaint he observed the injury on the alleged victim’s arm and photographed it. He also reportedly observed the alleged victim’s belongings scattered on the porch and dog food spilled onto the ground. Linger also photographed damaged property.
A witness on the scene told Linger that he was present during the incident, the complaint states. Linger writes that the witness reportedly observed everything the alleged victim described to officers, and provided a statement to police.
Linger also spoke with Wiant, who allegedly admitted he became angry and slammed the door in the alleged victim’s face “several times,” the complaint states. Wiant also allegedly stated he knocked the alleged victim’s belongings off the porch.
After Wiant was placed under arrest, he reportedly called the alleged victim a “b***h” and told her she was “going to regret every bit of it” when he got out of jail, the complaint states.
A preliminary hearing for Wiant has been scheduled for Sept. 28 in Upshur County Magistrate Court.