Man Arrested After Allegedly Brandishing Knife and Assaulting an Officer

A Crossville man was arrested after he allegedly brandished a knife at On The Way Mart on Lantana Road.  When confronted, police say 57-year-old William Anthony Gillespie refused to drop the knife and instead put it on top of a vehicle where it was easily accessible.  Gillespie reportedly told police he was not going back to jail and they would have to kill him.  He eventually stepped away from the knife but as police attempted to take him into custody, Gillespie threatened to assault the officer and pulled away.  Gillespie pushed the officer who deployed a taser. While on the ground, Gillespie stated if he had a gun he would kill the police officer.  As Gillespie was transported to jail, he reportedly threatened  to kill the officer and the officer’s family.  Gillespie was booked on charges of Aggravated Assault on a First Responder and Resisting – Stop, Halt, Frisk or Arrest.