Man Accused of Social Media Threats to Kill Cops Charged: Read the Posts

DETROIT, MI — A Detroit man has been charged with two felonies for allegedly posting social media threats against police officers in July, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette and Detroit Police Chief James Craig said in a statement Wednesday. The threats, posted days after five police officers were assassinated and seven others were wounded by a sniper in Dallas, said, among other things, that “black people should start killing all white cops just like they are killing us.”

Nheru Gowan Littleton, 40, was charged with making a terrorist threat and using a computer to commit a crime in 33rd District Court in Trenton. Both are 20-year felonies.

Littleton is accused of posting threats on Facebook July 8-9. The profanity-laced threats referenced the Black Lives Matter movement and claimed that increased tensions between white police officers and black men would only stop with violence against police.

“Why you ask?” Littleton allegedly posted. “Because white people will be dropping like flies.”

Littleton, who allegedly described himself as a “former killing machine for the United States Marine Corps” on social media, has a valid concealed pistol license and owns a Smith & Wesson .45-caliber firearm, the authorities said.

Littleton was one of four people arrested by Detroit police in July. Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy denied warrants against the other three in August, blaming shoddy police work and drawing the ire of police officers.

Previously on Patch

• 4 in Detroit Accused of Social Media Threats to Kill Police
• 3 Accused of Facebook Threats to Kill Cops Won’t Be Charged

At the time, Worthy said investigators were unable to prove the three men, who were taken into custody July 10, were in Wayne County when the threats were made. In some cases, the suspects weren’t read their Miranda rights, she said in a lengthy statement.

The fourth case remained under investigation, Worthy said in August. Schuette’s office reviewed the remaining case at the request of Craig, who said police agencies from multiple counties searched for Littleton. After he allegedly made the threats on Facebook, one of his 500 friends brought the post to the attention of Dearborn police, who sent out a message via the Law Enforcement Information Network alerting them to a “significant threat” made against the lives of police officers.

On July 7, a day before Littleton allegedly made his threats, the FBI sent a nationwide bulletin to law enforcement warning of online messaging that could inspire attacks against police.

“Threatening the life of a police officer is a threat against our entire community,” Craig said in Wednesday’s statement. “We take these threats very seriously. I’ve made a commitment to the men and women of the Detroit Police Department, I will not ignore those who threaten their safety. I refuse to let threats against officers go without a response.”

Schuette said police officers “should be able to do their job without the fear of an unprovoked attack.”

“This is a fight worth fighting,” Schuette said in the statement. “We cannot allow it to be open season on police.”

Mark Diaz, the president of the Detroit Police Officers Association who said Worthy’s decision not to charge the other three men was ““despicable,” said Wednesday that all threats against police should be treated as real.

“Every day, we put our lives on the line, defending those that can’t always defend themselves,” Diaz said, also in a statement. “The threats we face every day are real. And in this time of heightened emotion, we have to consider the threats made to law enforcement as real, credible threats.”

The Posts

The threats allegedly posted by Littleton include the following:

July 8: “To those sniper’s in Texas, I commend your bravery and actions!!! #blacklivesmatter.”

July 8: “All lives can’t matter until Black Lives matter!!!! Kill all white cops!!!”

July 8: “Kill all white cops!!!”

July 8: “Kill all white cops!!!”

July 8: “(Expletive) that!!! Nobody called for prayer after Alton Sterling got shot to death!!! (Expletive) them police!!!!”

July 8: “Yes!!! #blacklivesmatter #purgeoncops”

July 8: “Why isn’t that white man shot dead!!! #wakeupblackpeople # itsnotagame”

July 8: “If these racist (expletive) white cops want to PURGE on Black Lives!!! Then let’s PURGE on these racist (expletive) white cops!!! I’m sick of this (expletive)!!! If you don’t like what I said, UNFRIEND ME!!!! #rugonberue”

July 9: “(Expletive) them racist (expletive) white cops!!! Kill them ALL!!! Black Lives Matter!!! Black people should start killing all white cops just like they killing us!!! Then and only then will this (expletive) stop!!! Why you ask? Because white people will be dropping like flies!!!”

Threats Against Police Rise Nationally

Detroit law enforcement officers have been the subject of numerous threats in recent weeks, according to police. During the funeral of Detroit Police Capt. Kenneth Steil, a threat was made to blow up the funeral, which would have taken the lives of many law enforcement officers and their family members.

“Maybe I should drop a bomb on that building to get rid of the rest of y’all,” Deshawn Maurice Lanton, 21, allegedly posted on Facebook. He has been charged with using the internet to make a threat.

Nationally, law enforcement officers have come under attack in New York City and Dallas, Schuette said.

On Dec. 20, 2014, Ismaaiyl Brinsley posted a picture of a gun on Instagram with the caption “I’m Putting Wings on Pigs Today. They Take 1 of Ours….. Let’s Take 2 Of Theirs #ShootThePolice #RIPErivGardner #RIPMikeBrown ...”

About two hours after making the post, Brinsley shot and killed two New York Police Department officers in Brooklyn as they sat in their patrol car before killing himself. The killings reportedly avenged the death of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, in Ferguson, Missouri, on Aug. 9 of that year.

Since then New York police officers were advised to arrive and remain on post together, and take their meals and other breaks in pairs, Schuette said.

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