Louisiana Man Arrested After Multi-Agency Police Chase, Allegedly Made Threats Against President Trump
A Louisiana man who allegedly threatened President Donald Trump reportedly rammed the car of a deputy who tried to pull him over. He then led authorities on a multi-agency, high-speed chase.
It all began on February 14, around 1:30 p.m., when the United States Secret Service contacted the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina. The Secret Service asked the Sheriff’s Office to help conduct a welfare check on the man after he allegedly made threats towards the President, according to Queen City News.
When a deputy spotted the man driving, the officer attempted to conduct an “investigative stop.” During the stop, the man allegedly ran into the deputy’s patrol car while the officer was still inside the vehicle. The man then fled onto the highway.
Shortly thereafter, an Alexander County deputy located the man on Highway 16 and, after failing to make a traffic stop, began a pursuit. A deputy reported that the man was driving “recklessly” and was “speeding in excess of 15 miles per hour over the legal speed limit.”
The man then drove into the First Baptist Church parking lot in Taylorsville and came to a stop. After a brief standoff, police said the man exited the vehicle and officers took him into custody.
After the man’s arrest, police called in the bomb squad to investigate his vehicle
Following his capture, the Gaston County Police Department called its Hazardous Device Units to the scene. There was concern that the man may have had an explosive device in his car. He did not.
In a statement to Queen City News, the Secret Service said it “takes any information or activity that could be perceived as a potential threat to our protectees extremely seriously.” The statement did not specify what threats the man had made towards President Donald Trump.
“We investigate and act on such matters swiftly and in close coordination with our law enforcement partners,” the statement continued.
Police charged the man with assault on a government official, resisting arrest, failure to stop for blue light and siren, and fleeing to elude arrest with a motor vehicle. It is unclear if federal authorities have charged or will charge him with any crimes.
