Newport Man Charged for Brutal Beating

Newport police charged William E. Meininger, 48, of 4 Farewell St., Newport, with felony assault with a dangerous weapon on Monday for allegedly beating a man near the Edward Street playground a week ago.

Police said the victim was badly injured in the assault on July 23 and was transported to the hospital for facial injuries.

Meininger turned himself in to police on Monday after an investigation into the assault.

Police at first were told by people at the scene that the victim had fallen.

Later, a witness told police that the story about a fall was a lie because many people feared Meininger.

When Meininger learned that he was under investigation, he reportedly approached an officer and said he wanted to turn himself in.

Meininger later said that he was sucker punched by the victim and retaliated by punching him several times until he fell face down on the ground. Meininger then said he put his foot on the back of the victim’s face and “scraped [his] face across the gravel to ‘make an explanation point,’” a police report stated.

Meininger was due to be arraigned Tuesday.