Prosecutors charged an Athens man with felony assault yesterday after he threatened his wife with a bayonet mounted on the end of his assault rifle.
Police arrested Michael D. Cassels, 50, after he charged at his wife with the rifle before grabbing and kicking her. During the assault, Cassels said he did not care who he might kill starting with the mayor
the neighbor or even her according to a sworn statement by Officer J. L. Emerick of the Athens Police Department.
Mayor Paul Wiehl, reached by telephone, said he was unaware of any threats against his life.
I wasn't aware anyone was trying to kill me. It sounds like hyperbole to me Wiehl said.
Judge William Grim set Cassel's bond at$25,000 and he was taken to the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail. Felony assault, a second-degree felony, is punishable by two to eight years in prison and a$15,000 fine.
Cassels was convicted of disorderly conduct in 1993 and 1999 and assault in 1997, all first-degree misdemeanors. A domestic violence charge against him was dismissed in 2002.
Cassels will appear at 2 p.m. Thursday in municipal court for a preliminary hearing.
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Dave Hendricks
