UPDATE (Aug. 20, 2026) - Brent Brennan Benaszeski, 22, Athens, was convicted of theft – movable property Aug. 17, sentenced to one year’s probation, fined $443 and ordered to have no presence on any UW-River Falls property. He pleaded no contest to and entered into an 18-month deferred judgment of conviction agreement on a felony terrorist threats – public panic or fear charge. Felony burglary – armed with dangerous weapon and disorderly conduct (use of dangerous weapon) charges were dismissed. 

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RIVER FALLS – A 22-year-old man is accused of threatening people with a knife at a River Falls party over the weekend after being asked to leave.

Brent Brennan Benaszeski, 22, Athens (but living in River Falls) was ordered to pay $250 cash bond May 4 in Pierce County Circuit Court on felony burglary – armed with dangerous weapon, felony terrorist threats – public panic or fear, theft – movable property, and disorderly conduct – use dangerous weapon charges. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and/or fines up to $50,000.

According to the complaint:

River Falls police officers were dispatched at 3:37 p.m. Saturday, May 2 to Third and Elm streets for a report of a man threatening people with a knife. According to the caller, he had threatened about 50 people; multiple calls were coming into dispatch reporting the incident. The man, later identified as Benaszeski, was described as having curly brown hair, wearing black shorts and a red Wisconsin Badgers shirt. He was last seen running south on Second Street.

A UW-River Falls officer spotted him near Locust and Second streets. When officers caught up to him, they removed a large sheathed, straight, fixed-blade knife from his front right pocket. The serrated blade was approximately 6-8 inches long. Officers handcuffed him immediately and read him his rights, at which point he agreed to speak to them.

Benaszeski said he had attended a party between the houses at 120 S. Third St. and 320 E. Elm St. for about 45 minutes where he watched people play wiffle ball and drank a couple of 12-ounce Busch Light beers. He told officers that people at the party accused him of stealing a Brewers jersey, which he denied. He claimed another man had threatened to beat him and told him to get out and never come back. He also claimed that people pushed him around and “backed him out: of the party.

Benaszeski told police he kept the knife in his pocket the whole time, that he only made threats to get the knife out and stab people before walking away.

Officers spoke with multiple witnesses who said Benaszeski showed up at the party around 12:45 p.m. without knowing anyone there. They claimed he sneaked into the house at 320 E. Elm St. and stole a baby blue Jackson Chourio jersey from a resident’s bedroom. Party attendees allegedly chased him down, recovered the jersey from where it was tucked into Benaszeski’s pants and kicked him out. They said Benaszeski returned to the party between 2:30-3 p.m., stood on top of a vehicle, removed the knife from his pocket and waved it around, making stabbing and slashing motions while threatening to use it on people.

One witness said he grabbed a pipe to use in self-defense, holding it against Benaszeski’s chest while he told him to get out. He said Benaszeski just kept coming and waving the knife around, scaring everyone at the party. The witness said he backed off because he was scared he’d be stabbed. Other party goers said once Benaszeski left again, they were afraid he’d come back and inflict harm.

Witnesses described Benaszeski as “creepy,” but said they let him play wiffle ball to be nice.

When asked about pulling out the knife, Benaszeski said he got defensive when a man at the party threatened to fight him. He became emotional during the interview and said he wants to die and go to hell. He also stated he hates alcohol and wants it taken away from him. He was transported to Pierce County Jail without incident.

In a separate case, a disorderly conduct charge was filed April 10 in Pierce County Circuit Court against Benaszeski related to an incident in October at Chalmer Davee Library on the UW-River Falls campus.

According to that complaint, UWRF police were dispatched at 7:50 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30 to the campus library (330 E. Cascade Ave.) where two student employees reported that Benaszeski had walked into the library around 7:15 p.m., loudly watching a video or talking on his cellphone. They said he was so loud, he was disturbing other library patrons.

When the workers spoke to him about the noise, he allegedly became verbally aggressive. They said he had been sitting near a charging station on the library’s first floor when they asked him to quiet down. Benaszeski allegedly called her a “piece of shit” and used other profanity. A group of people sitting nearby witnessed the exchange, which made the worker feel unsafe, she said.

Police questioned Benaszeski about the library incident at 4:19 p.m. Nov. 2 at his residence at South Fork Suites. He denied being in the library and refused to answer questions. Video surveillance showed him in the library. When he was told he was being cited for disorderly conduct, he became hostile and told officers they mustn't have anything better to do than bother him about being loud on his phone. When he was told the citation was for swearing multiple times at library staff and disturbing other patrons, he asked them if they had been bullied in school.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled in Pierce County Circuit Court for 2:30 p.m. June 3.