BUCKHANNON – An Upshur County man was arrested for allegedly threatening officers after he was reportedly found brandishing a weapon in public.

Brandon King, 42, of Buckhannon, was arrested on Labor Day for retaliation against a public officer, a felony.

According to the criminal complaint in the Upshur County Magistrate Clerk’s Office filed by Cpl. T.R. Collins with the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office, on Monday, Sept. 4, the E911 Upshur County Communication Center alerted law enforcement that telecommunicators had received a call alleging a male subject was brandishing a weapon in Walgreen’s parking lot.

Upshur Sheriff’s Deputy Cpl. Tyler Gordon and Collins arrived on scene and were initially unable to locate the male. However, a citizen flagged them down and said a male was lying in the parking lot of 22 North Locust Street, pointing a weapon at vehicles, the file says.

Collins was slowly approaching that parking lot when he saw the male, later identified as King, lying in the shade near a bush, allegedly pointing a weapon at the officers and passing traffic, the complaint says.

According to the police report, Collins exited his patrol vehicle, drew his weapon and ordered King to drop his firearm. King complied with that order, but as he was being placed into handcuffs, he allegedly began reaching for his waistband. After multiple orders were given to stop reaching, King was finally placed in handcuffs and read his rights.

King was then transported to the Upshur County Sheriff’s Department where he was cleared by Upshur EMS. While King was at the office, he allegedly made multiple threats toward both Collins and Gordon, including stating that he would, among other things, “chain Collins to a tree and use a 9 mm to kill him,” the file states.

While King was being transported to TVRJ, he allegedly stated he would kill Collins and his entire family, according to the report.

Bail was set at $60,000.

The potential penalty for a conviction of retaliation against a public officer is confinement for not more than 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $2,000.