A New Philadelphia man is being held in the Tuscarawas County Jail on a 25-thousand dollar bond after police say he threatened police officers and their families, as well as his neighbors.
William R. Bennett the fourth last week pleaded not guilty to five felonies and one misdemeanor a week after the grand jury indicted him on charges of intimidation, ethnic intimidation, aggravated menacing and telecommunications harassment.
New Philadelphia Police Chief Tessa Pohovey says the 43-year-old Bennett was upset that he was charged in a previous case. She says he threatened members of the police department and their families with assault.
Pohovey says Bennett also threatened neighbors who are of different race or ethnicity, using specific language leading to an ethnic intimidation charge. Bennett has a telephone pretrial conference scheduled for June 23rd with Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Court Judge Michael Ernest. He has been appointed a public defender.
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