Defendant claims he had a knife not a gun   An Austin man has been charged with assault with a dangerous weapon as well as threats of violence, among other charges, for allegedly threatening a neighbor with a handgun. Joseph William Hegge, 63, of Austin was charged Monday in Mower County District Court with second degree assault with a dangerous weapon and threats of violence-reckless disregard for risk. Both of them are felonies. He was also charged with gross misdemeanor interfering with an emergency call and misdemeanor fifth degree assault. According to the court complaint, Mower County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to the 17000 block of US Highway 218 for a report of a man who allegedly assaulted another individual and who pointed a gun at him. The first deputy on scene spoke with the victim who said he was warming up his motorcycle to go to work when he felt something hit his helmet. He turned around to find Hegge holding a gun and then pointing it at him. When the victim said he was going to call 911, he said Hegge tried to take the phone from him saying, “No you’re not.” The victim told the deputy that he tried telling Hegge that he lived there and that he didn’t know Hegge. A witness at the scene said she heard the victim revving his motorcycle and that she heard Hegge allegedly yell at him to leave and, “I’m going to get my gun and kill you.” While the witness said she didn’t see anything in Hegge’s hands, she did hear him allegedly repeat that he would use a gun. When speaking with him, Hegge said that he was irritated by the victim and that he had been disrespecting him. He denied using a gun, but did say he brought a knife with him that was supposedly still in the packaging. When asked if he had tried talking with the victim, Hegge responded by saying he did not, nor did he try contacting the landlord claiming instead that he was “old school.” He also acknowledged that the way he was holding the knife it might have been construed as a firearm, and also claimed that he collected pistols but that they were largely flintlock-type guns. A search of the house turned up a 9mm pistol with a magazine containing seven rounds, two pellet guns near the front door and a machete-style knife inside the original packaging located near the front door. The complaint also reflects that several more firearms were located inside a bedroom and closet along with hundreds of knives, machetes, hatchets and other blades scattered throughout the house. Hegge declined to speak with a detective following the arrest. His next court appearance is April 21. The post Man charged with allegedly threatening man with a gun appeared first on Austin Daily Herald. ...read more read less