A Utah man was arrested Saturday after he allegedly threatened to “forcibly” remove the mayor of Salt Lake City if she didn’t end coronavirus-related shutdowns.
According to police, the 58-year-old man called Mayor Erin Mendenhall’s office on Friday and said she “needs to open up the city,” and “if she doesn’t, she’ll be forcibly removed from office.”
The man went on to say, “There's a protest tomorrow and if things don't change, a civil war is coming, and the police can't stop me,” according to a probable cause statement.
According to police, the man posted this on his Facebook page: “Bring your guns, the civil war starts Saturday. Be prepared to defend our God given constitutional right.”
The suspect was arrested and booked into the Salt Lake County jail for investigation of making terroristic threats and electronic communication harassment, both misdemeanors. He was released after posting $5,000 bail.
The Salt Lake Tribune generally does not name suspects who have not yet been charged with a crime.
