Facebook Threats To Congress Lands Winter Haven Man In Jail

WINTER HAVEN, FL -- A Winter Haven man is behind bars after the Polk County Sheriff's Office said he published a series of Facebook posts in which he threatened to kill members of Congress and their families.

According to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, James Royal Patrick Jr. wrote Facebook posts on Sept. 22, 24 and 29 in which he threatened to shoot and kill Democratic Congressmen who vote against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Judd said Patrick also threatened "weak Republicans" and law enforcement officials who try to interfere with his mission.

Judd said the sheriff's office became aware of the threats Wednesday, Oct. 3 when a member of the community phoned in a tip. Patrick was arrested within five hours and charged with using social media to make threats to kill, a second-degree felony, which can carry a sentence of up to 15 years.

Patrick is being held at the Polk County Jail. Bond is set at $500,000.

"He said things like ' Just bought 12 boxes of hollow-point 50-caliber bullets. Have plenty of ammunition for my sniper rifle and bought a suppressor,'" said Judd. He also claimed to have a tunnel under his house filled with supplies where he could hide after committing mass murder.

Upon his arrest, Patrick told deputies he didn't mean the threats and he didn't think he could get in trouble because he didn't mention any specific individual to be targeted, said Judd.

"He said he was just making it up to scare people," Judd said.

But Judd said it doesn't matter if he meant his threats or not.

"We take words seriously," he said. "When you threaten to kill, we're going to lock you up. Words matter. If they say it, they mean it. And if they say it, we mean to arrest them."

Judd said some mass murderers launched their shooting sprees after first making written or verbal threats.

"These are the words of a man who is capable of committing mass murder," said Judd. "Who's to say he wouldn't have carried this mission out if the vote didn't go the way he wanted it?"

A search of Patrick's home uncovered a handgun, a deer rifle, which can also be used as a sniper rifle, and "a lot of ammunition," Judd said. There was no tunnel under the house, however.

Judd blamed the media and social media for creating the divisive atmosphere in the country.

"People need to chill out," he said. "The Democrats aren't the enemy. The Republicans aren't the enemy. We're all Americans."

Video via Polk Sheriff

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