William Burn Howard

WARSAW — A Rensselaer man faces two intimidation charges after making verbal threats toward Warsaw Police Chief Scott Whitaker earlier this week. 

William Burn Howard, 49, 621 S. College Ave., Rensselaer, is charged with intimidation against a law enforcement officer and intimidation, both level 6 felonies.

According to information in the affidavit of probable cause, on Dec. 9, Whitaker received a phone call from Howard in which Howard accused Whitaker of harassing Howard’s ex-wife. Howard allegedly said he would be coming to get Whitaker on Friday. 

Howard further said he would be impeaching Whitaker and wants his resignation. Howard told Whitaker that he (Howard) is an MMA fighter and that Whitaker would need protection from him. He further said that if Whitaker files anything on him, Whitaker “will know what the wrath of God feels like.”

On Dec. 10, Whitaker received a voicemail message from Howard saying he is filing a declaration of extraction due to the endangerment of his ex-wife by her driving a car. Howard said he would hand the declaration to Whitaker no later than Friday.

Whitaker received another voicemail message at 10:36 p.m. Dec. 10. In that message, Howard said, “This is your worst nightmare” and “Do you understand what a tap-out is? I’m going to take your ******* breath away,” along with numerous other threats. 

On Dec. 11, a Kosciusko County dispatcher received a phone call from Howard in which Howard told her there is going to be an emergency call for his ex-wife. He informed the dispatcher that he had an infrared dot on her head and that he wanted her to go to his family’s residence to make sure they are alive. He provided a cell phone number and told the dispatcher to call him, saying that she “better hurry because he’s about to squeeze his finger.” During the phone call, Howard was reportedly using profanities and speaking in a threatening manner. 

Howard was booked at the Kosciusko County Jail Dec. 12, on an $11,000 surety and cash bond.