Man fired from Hiland Dairy arrested after threats made

FAYETTEVILLE — A man was arrested Saturday on several drug, alcohol and weapon-related offenses after police say he threatened to shoot several people at the Hiland Dairy Foods plant on 15th Street.

Brett Edward Wenger, 47, of 10480 W. Jeter Road was arrested about 11:23 p.m. in the parking lot of the plant. He was arrested in connection with possession of firearm by certain persons, simultaneous possession of drugs and firearm, possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, driving while intoxicated, forgery, resisting arrest and terroristic threatening.

He was being held Monday in the Washington County Detention Center on $25,000 bond.

Officers were called to the parking lot for a report of trespassing, according to a police report. The caller said Wenger, who recently was fired, was threatening to shoot the manager and “shoot up the property.”

While on their way, officers learned Wenger had a felony arrest warrant and several alerts as being armed and dangerous.

Officers found Wenger sitting in a blue Toyota Tundra with the engine running. They reported seeing a silver and black gun next to Wenger. Wenger was immediately removed from the pickup. He resisted arrest when officers tried to handcuff him, the report said. Wenger began to scream and kick the partition and threatened to shoot an officer when placed in the patrol car.

According to the report, the officers saw an empty whiskey bottle in the pickup. Wenger’s eyes were bloodshot and watery, his balance was poor and speech was slurred and his breath smelled of intoxicating beverages, the report said. Because of his “violent and aggressive attitude,” the report said, the officers were unable to do a field sobriety test.

Officers found a Smith & Wesson pistol with a loaded magazine and fives bottles of medical marijuana, with a total of about 50.6 grams of marijuana products, in the pickup. A medical marijuana card was found, and it appeared the card was fraudulent, according to the report.

Employees told officers they heard Wenger threaten to kill the plant supervisor, his wife, another man and then himself.

Wenger