Man Arrested Threatens Officer

On Wednesday, Newport police were called to Weigel’s on Cosby Hwy about a man who had been in the store for several hours…sleeping in the back of the store. Officer Lindsay Laughter made contact with the man, 51 year old William Douglas Axley. When Laughter spoke with Axley he was saying things that didn’t make sense, such as “he was trying to contact the governor” and “He was waiting for a detective”. When Laughter asked him if she could pat him down for weapons, he informed her no, because that would be assault….at which time Axley grabbed for a backpack. That is when things got more interesting. Axley began to cause quite the disturbance in the store yelling obscenities at the officer. Axley was placed under arrest for disorderly conduct and continued to yell obscenities in the store and stated that he was going to put a hit on the officer because he is “part of a group of cop killers.”