Weekend WMPD Roundup

West Memphis police handle men making threats of violence

news@theeveningtimes.com

With the exception of a couple of incidents West Memphis police experienced another relatively peaceful weekend, Assistant Police Chief Robert Langston said. One violent criminal was back behind bars almost as quickly as he was freed, while another man quickly discovered the perils of making threats, idle or not.

Officers made two unrelated arrests over threats of violence, one in which a man, identified as Dontavious Henderson, of West Memphis, threatened officers and members of his family late Friday night.

Shortly after 11 p.m.

Friday officers made contact with several residents outside of an apartment at 2313 Wheeler Ave., regarding a disturbance.

When officers entered the apartment they made contact with Henderson in the kitchen. When officers commanded Henderson to show his hands he refused to comply and became irate, Langston said.

Officers reported that Henderson started yelling obscenities and at that time was advised to calm down and put his hands up. Henderson was eventually taken into custody.

“While officers were placing Henderson in a patrol vehicle he was heard tell- ing them that he was going to ‘blow his ass off’ which is a street term for shooting someone with a firearm,” Langston said.

Officers then asked Henderson if that was a threat and he replied with an expletive. While in route to the Crittenden County Detention Center Henderson reportedly made several more threats to shoot police.

Langston said Henderson had just been released on bond for the April 6 homicide at 605 Oxford St. prior to his latest arrest. Henderson, 22, was originally arrested on April 25 on charges of shooting to death Corneathea Robinson, 23, of West Memphis. That shooting occurred in the Westwood Acres subdivision. Henderson was charged with murder in the first degree and five counts of committing a terroristic

We’ve been working all weekend with the prosecutor attorney’s office to have Henderson’s bond revoked,” Langston said.

Earlier Friday Henderson appeared in court and his bond was set at $250,000 on the latest charge and was raised to $800,000 on the homicide.

In a separate, unrelated incident over the weekend, officers were dispatched to Kroger after employees reported that a man identified as James O’Bierne threatened them and said he was going to come to shoot his co-workers.

Langston said O’Bierne was not at the grocery store when officers arrived but officers remained on the scene for security measures for employees as well as shoppers.

Detectives with the department’s Criminal Investigative Division began interviewing witnesses and based on the information a warrant was issue for Terroristic Threatening in the First Degree.

Langston said O’Bierne was arrested shortly thereafter by officers with the Marion Police Department.

“We take threats of workplace violence very seriously and we will not tolerate it in West Memphis,” said Langston.

With mass shootings making headlines all too often, any potential danger is handled with impunity.

“Our officers received the information and immediately placed security on the business while our detectives began investigating the situation. Our patrol officers and investigators worked together to quickly make an arrest on this case to ensure that the employees and patrons of Kroger could safely go about their daily activity,” Langston said.