May 26—A man threatened to kill an O'Reilly Auto Parts employee and assaulted a responding officer, Stillwater police said.

On May 15, a dispatcher informed officers that Jeffrey Hernandez, 41, was acting erratically and threatening to do harm to staff.

An employee advised them that Hernandez threatened to slit his throat with a knife. Hernandez claimed the O'Reilly staff damaged his car battery, according to an affidavit.

Officer Jeremiah Johnson said he determined from the start of the contact to place Hernandez in investigative detention because of the alleged lethal threats. Instantly, Johnson said, he tensed up his entire body, would not comply with orders and tried pulling his arms away.

"I determined at that point we should take Hernandez to the ground," Johnson said in his probable cause affidavit. "I then attempted to leg sweep and hip toss Hernandez."

But, Hernandez was able to pull away, punched at Johnson with a right hook, threw a cart filled with items and charged at Johnson with a lowered head, the officer said.

"I placed Hernandez in a headlock once he charged and attacked me," Johnson said. "With a closed fist, I attempted a few body strikes to the left side of his ribcage in an effort to gain compliance with my orders."

Another officer tasered the alleged assailant, who was placed in handcuffs. A pocket knife was found on his person, and a loaded semi-automatic handgun was located in his backpack along with an additional fully loaded magazine.

Hernandez was charged with assault and battery on a police officer and assault with a dangerous weapon. He faces up to 15 years in prison.

Guardsman arrested on child porn charges

An Oklahoma National Guard member was arrested on May 11 for possessing six videos depicting children engaged in acts of sexual conduct and distributing four.

The guardsman, identified as 28-year-old Alexander Stephenson, was arrested in El Paso. He was scheduled to deploy with his unit to Africa.

On September 29, the Stillwater Police Department received a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The cybertip said a Kik user called johndoe60737 uploaded or shared apparent child sexual abuse material on May 12, 2022.

Stephenson was arraigned on May 18, and he pleaded not guilty. His $100,000 bond was posted three days prior.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 5 at 10 a.m. If convicted, Stephenson could spend up to 40 years in prison.

Police searching for armed robbery suspect

The Stillwater Police Department Tuesday requested the public for any information regarding an armed robbery suspect.

On May 12, a suspect with the vague description of a black male wearing dark clothes took an undisclosed amount of money from the Dollar General at Sixth Avenue and South Burdick Street. The man was armed with a knife.

Anyone with information can reach the SPD tipline at 405-533-8477.