Man charged for claimed Facebook threat to storm courthouse over felony-murder trial
Updated: A unidentified man has been arrested concerning a claimed Facebook threat about a controversial Kansas felony-murder trial.
The post was made during jury deliberations regarding a Wichita case against Kyler Carriker, who survived being shot while acting as a middleman for a $1,100 marijuana deal. Carriker was charged with felony murder for the death of a fellow seller, allegedly killed by customers in the same April 2013 shooting. On Thursday, Sheriff Jeff Easter announced the arrest of the man accused of encouraging others to attack security officers at the Sedgwick County Courthouse if Carriker was found guilty. The jury came back with a not-guilty verdict after the sheriff’s announcement was made, reports KAKE.
KAKE and KSN have stories about the social media statements, which also prompted authorities to add extra security at the courthouse.
“Is it out of line to storm the courthouse if he’s found guilty?” the Facebook post read. The man’s subsequent comments added “I’m serious” and “If we get a decent number of people to charge through the front doors and security, the police there will attack us. Often times, the only way to defend yourself from a cop is to kill the cop which means using a rifle to penetrate the body armor.”
Easter declined to identify the man, who was charged with making a criminal threat in the Facebook post. However, Easter said the man is known for appearing at public events in Wichita in recent months, sometimes wearing a Guy Fawkes mask painted like the American flag, and carrying an AR-15 assault rifle, a handgun and an axe. These appearances were a legal assertion of the man’s Second Amendment rights, the sheriff said.
Earlier KAKE and Wichita Eagle stories provide additional details about the murder case against Carriker.
Updated at 4:12 p.m. after the jury released their verdict.
