Former WWE wrestler Curtis Axel was arrested in Anoka County on May 17 after police said he backed into another car at a McDonald’s drive-thru in St. Francis, Minnesota, then refused chemical testing and had to be physically removed from his truck. He was released from jail on May 19.
Police said the 46-year-old Axel, whose real name is Joseph Hennig, was taken into custody after officers were dispatched shortly before 9 p.m. to a property-damage crash at the restaurant. A vehicle had backed into another in the drive-thru, and officers later found Axel slowly navigating the parking lot. They said he smelled strongly of alcohol, had bloodshot and watery eyes and was slurring his speech.
An inventory search of the vehicle before towing turned up an open 750 mL bottle of Phillips vodka on the front passenger-side floorboard. Police said Axel swore at staff and at the female driver whose car was struck, and an employee reported that he had been mumbling in line before pulling forward, swearing at workers and backing into another vehicle. Officers said he opened his door and yelled at the woman, calling her a b**** and a p****.
When instructed to step out, Hennig reportedly refused. Officers opened the door, reached inside to turn off the engine and placed the keys on the passenger seat before physically removing him from the truck, escorting him to the ground and handcuffing him. While he sat in the squad car, an officer read him the Minnesota Breath Test Advisory. Hennig allegedly answered with profanities, including “I don’t give a s***,” “f*** you, you f*****” and other insults. Police also said he uttered a slur.
He was charged with DWI for refusing to submit to a chemical test and with failing to stop for an accident. The Watch MN reported that the case also includes obstructing the legal process, having an open bottle of alcohol in his car and disorderly conduct. The most serious charges, the two tied to DWI and DUI, are gross misdemeanors.
Axel is the son of the late wrestling legend Curt Hennig and won the WWE Intercontinental Championship and Tag Team Championship during his run. His biggest push came when WWE paired him with manager Paul Heyman, and he later became part of the comedy-heavy B-Team faction. He was released by WWE in 2020 amid the COVID pandemic, returned in 2022 for a brief stint as a part-time producer and wrestled an indie match for Midwest All-Star Wrestling in Minnesota in May of last year.
The arrest leaves Axel facing a case that mixes a late-night drive-thru crash, alcohol allegations and a former star whose name once carried more weight inside a wrestling ring than in a police report.
