Knife wielding man says he was bluffing


July 3, 2008 · Updated 1:12 PM 

  • 0
  • Print Story
  • Letter/Editor

"Police say Robert Copeland was drunk and angry when he jumped over a fence into his neighbor's yard and threatened a man with a steak knife. While Copeland told police he was just bluffing about the whole knife-wielding thing, law enforcement officials are taking the alleged incident very seriously. In fact, the 36-year-old Oak Harbor man could end up in prison if things don't go his way.The Island County Prosecutor's Office recently charged Copeland with second-degree assault with a deadly weapons enhancement and second-degree criminal trespassing. If convicted, he could get as much as two years in prison.Copeland pleaded not guilty to the charges.Oak Harbor Officer Mike Bailey wrote the report on the incident. He states that the trouble started Oct. 10 at around 8:30 p.m. A woman who lives next door to Copeland's NW Clipper Street home called 911 to report an alleged domestic assault involving Copeland and his sister.According to Bailey, officers responded to the home but didn't find any evidence of an assault. But after the police left, Bailey writes that Copeland grabbed a knife from the kitchen, jumped over a fence into the neighbor's front yard and pointed a knife at the man who lives there. Copeland asked the man why he snitched to the police.The neighbor man told Copeland to throw down the knife, which he did. The man then tackled Copeland, put him in a headlock and held him, according to Bailey. "

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.

So keep your comments:

  • Civil
  • Smart
  • On-topic
  • Free of profanity

We ask that all participants own their words by logging in with their Facebook account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and “drive-by” commenters. We reserve the right to remove comments from anyone using screen names, pseudonyms or false identities. Please refer to our Terms of Use for full detail on participating on our site.

blog comments powered by Disqus