Charlie Sheen''s wife claims knife threat in assault

DENVER (Reuters) - Charlie Sheen''s wife accused the actor of threatening her with a knife in a Christmas Day emergency phone call to police that led to his arrest, a recording released on Monday revealed.

The star of the television sitcom "Two and a Half Men" was arrested on Friday in the ski resort of Aspen, Colorado, on suspicion of assault, menacing and criminal mischief.

Police said all three counts were "coupled with domestic violence components". Colorado prosecutors have yet to decide whether to file formal charges.

A 911-emergency call recording released by Aspen police on Monday confirmed media reports that Sheen''s third wife, Brooke Mueller, 32, was the alleged victim. The couple married in May 2008.

On the tape, a distraught Mueller, her speech sounding slurred, told a police dispatcher that Sheen threatened her with a knife before family members intervened.

"Right now we have people who are separating us, but I have to file the report," she is heard saying. Asked what kind of knife Sheen had, she said, "It''s like some switch blade ... he has it in his back pocket." Sheen is not heard on the tape.

Further details of the altercation emerged in an affidavit filed by the arresting officer and published by TMZ.com. Both parties told police their quarrel escalated when Mueller said she wanted a divorce and custody of their eight-month old twin boys.

According to the affidavit, Mueller told police that Sheen grabbed her by the throat while straddling her on a bed, "then pulled out a knife, holding it to her throat, saying, "You better be in fear. If you tell anybody I''ll kill you. ... I have ex-police I can hire who know how to get the job done and they won''t leave any trace."

The knife, with a 4-inch blade locked in the open position, was found in his travel bag beside the bedroom, police said.

Sheen denied brandishing the knife or assaulting his wife, but admitted to crumpling two pairs of her eyeglasses. He also said they slapped each other''s arms while arguing but it was "predominantly verbal," the affidavit said.

According to an earlier TMZ report, Mueller later recanted much of her initial story, while Sheen told authorities that his wife was the aggressor and that he was fending her off.