Bangstad fan cited for phone harassment of newspaper

An Arena, Wisconsin, man has been cited for telephone harassment of The Lakeland Times after making an early morning call to the newspaper and leaving a message loaded with obscenities.

The Oneida County sheriff’s department issued the citation by mail to Donald Jerome Peterson of Arena after investigating the incident. The citation is for a county ordinance telephone harassment infraction.

Peterson left the call on September 13 at 12:24 a.m. The message was full of profanity.

“Hey, you’re Nazi motherf—-s,” Peterson said on the recording. “I use your newspaper to wipe my a—. That’s the only thing that it’s good for. Go f— yourself, you motherf—-s.”

In his officer’s report, deputy Michael Bedish said Peterson had been fully identified.

After hearing the recording, Bedish reported that he made contact with Peterson by phone.

“Peterson informed me that he indeed left that voicemail for the Lakeland Times, due to him very much disliking their news company,” Bedish wrote. “Peterson stated his dislike stemmed from the Lakeland Times making news and fake stories over the owner of the Minocqua Brewing Company in attempts to shut him down.”

Bedish said he tried to explain that the newspaper publishes news reports.

“When attempting to explain to Peterson that the news writes reports on places and it is only reports, Peterson stated they are more than just reporters and that they are Nazis trying to shut him down,” Bedish reported.

Bedish reported that, in further discussion, Peterson became “verbally upset” with Bedish because Bedish was a member of the Oneida County sheriff’s office.

“Peterson stated we are in bed with the news companies and we are also trying to shut the Minocqua Brewing Company down,” Bedish reported. 

At that point, Bedish said he told Peterson that he would be getting a citation, which prompted Peterson to take verbal aim at Bedish.

“I subsequently informed Peterson that I will be issuing him a citation for County Ordinance Telephone Harassment, at which time Peterson advised me that I was nothing more than a black Nazi in bed with the Lakeland Times and that he will see my happy a— in court,” Bedish, who is white, reported. 

Bedish reported that Peterson then hung up on him, and Bedish mailed the citation to his Arena address.

Richard Moore is the author of “Dark State” and may be reached at richardd3d.substack.com.