Michigan man charged with threatening to kill ICE agents
A Michigan man has been charged with threatening to kill Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and other law enforcement officers in a series of social media posts, according to federal prosecutors.
Michael Gary Petersen, 41, of Melvindale, a suburb of Detroit, was arrested on Thursday, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. He is charged with threatening to assault or murder a law enforcement officer and transmitting threats through interstate communications.
According to a criminal complaint, Petersen posted a series of messages between January and July in which he threatened officers and social media users who disagreed with his views.
Prosecutors said Petersen repeatedly encouraged his followers to shoot officers in the face. “Never trust officers. Death to them all,” one post said.
“Wait till we start throwing grenades and start shooting armor piercing rounds at these agents,” Petersen allegedly wrote in another post.
On June 7, Petersen allegedly threatened the ICE agent involved in the shooting of Renee Good. “[He] can’t escape a bullet. It’s coming soon. Just wait. ;),” the message said.
Petersen also responded to a social media user who disagreed with him by saying: “I have a bullet with your name on it.”
“The men and women of ICE are enforcing the immigration laws of the land as passed by Congress,” said ICE ERO Detroit acting Field Office Director Matthew Putra. “For them to be allegedly targeted for simply doing their duty according to federal law is unconscionable.”
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
