SHARE Heather Fox

By Ron Maxey of The Commercial Appeal

A former Donald Trump campaign leader and Republican activist from DeSoto County has been charged with disturbing the peace and domestic violence after becoming intoxicated and wielding an ax at a Nesbit home, police say.

Heather Leigh Fox was arrested and charged by DeSoto County Sheriff's deputies about 2 a.m. Friday at a home in the 5400 block of Church Road West in Nesbit. The DeSoto County Jail website shows that Fox was booked at 2:53 a.m. on a charge of disturbing the peace-domestic violence. It does not indicate whether she was released on bond.

According to the police report, Fox was agitated and had "the odor of an intoxicating beverage emitting from her body." The report also said officers, on a video recorded by the complainant, observed Fox swinging an ax inside the home's garage.

Fox, 42, of Olive Branch, is a member of the DeSoto County Republican Party Executive Committee as well as the state party's executive committee. Fox also identifies herself in an April posting on her website as North Mississippi director of Trump's presidential campaign. The posting includes a photograph of her being embraced by Trump. However, a campaign spokesman Friday said Fox has not worked for the campaign in any capacity since March.

The police report states that the unidentified owner of the Nesbit home told deputies Fox was "irate" because another person, also unidentified, was at the residence. The homeowner told police Fox didn't want the other person there because Fox believed she had damaged Fox's vehicle and stolen a swim suit on a prior occasion.

The homeowner said that when he heard Fox outside, he went out to talk to her and noticed she was holding an ax so he began recording the encounter on his cellphone. The officer watched the video and said he "observed Fox swinging an axe inside the garage. Fox continued screaming and using profane language advising (unidentified) to make (unidentified) leave his residence."

The report says Fox told the homeowner their relationship was over if the other person did not leave.

"Fox advised me that she had three mixed drinks containing Jack Daniels liquor," the arresting officer states in the report. "I asked Fox why she picked up the axe she found inside the garage. Fox advised me that she was mad."

The officer goes on to say Fox told him she knew she was wrong and "did not wish for this to happen."

No one was injured.

In addition to being active in politics, Fox founded a group called DeSoto County Reform after a 2012 dispute with county school officials over conditions at Olive Branch Elementary School, where Fox's children attended. The DeSoto County Reform site is where Fox identified herself in an April 2 posting as Trump's North Mississippi director. The post has since been removed.