'You Better Bring Body Bags': Man Threatened Mercer Cops: MCPO

A South Carolina man threatened police who arrested his brother in Mercer County last week, telling them they “better bring body bags because people are going to die” if they ever came after him, authorities said on Thursday.

But the threat was all for naught, as no one was reportedly injured when 61-year-old Michael Coleman was arrested on Thursday morning.

Coleman, of Little River, SC, was present on Sept. 5 when authorities executed a search warrant at the Bordentown, Burlington County, home that belongs to his brother, 54-year-old Joseph Coleman, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office. Joseph Coleman is accused of attempting to lure a 14-year-old boy to a park for sex last week.

“…They notified me they locked up my brother at 3:15 pm in Robbinsville. As of 12:00 am still no word from him,” Michael Coleman wrote in a Facebook post following the arrest, according to Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri. “…Cop or no cop. Glad I wasn’t carrying cause I’m sure I would have capped one of those over steroids piece of (crap) out. Yes one of you were very lucky I wasn’t armed,” Michael Coleman continued. “I would have protected my life, my mom’s life and her property and got away with it cause it wasn’t done by the book…Cops ever roll in on me again like they did today! You better bring body bags cause people will die…So if your not going to do it right then neither shall I.”

The search was related to the arrest of Joseph Coleman, who went to a park in Robbinsville the same day to have sex with what he thought was a 14-year-old boy he met online, according to the prosecutor’s office.
However, Joseph Coleman had actually been chatting with an undercover officer, and he was arrested without incident when he arrived at the park.

After authorities searched Joseph Coleman’s house, they were alerted to the threatening Facebook post attributed to Michael Coleman. Michael Coleman was arrested Thursday morning in Hamilton by detectives with the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office. He is charged with third-degree terroristic threats and fourth-degree harassment. He was released pending future court proceedings.

Joseph Coleman was arrested after the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office opened an investigation into individuals trying to exploit children online in July. A detective working undercover posing as a 14-year-old boy, responded to an online ad and triggered more than 100 email exchanges with Coleman, according to the prosecutor's office.

The email conversations included graphic sexual discussion. Joseph Coleman repeatedly attempted to arrange a meeting, according to the prosecutor's office. He believed that he had successfully arranged the meeting for about 3:15 p.m. on Wednesday at a park in Robbinsville, according to the prosecutor's office.

When he arrived, he went to a secluded area of the park to engage in sexual conduct. He was then arrested without incident, according to the prosecutor's office. Joseph Coleman is charged with second-degree luring of a child and second-degree attempting to engage in an act of sexual penetration with a child. He remains in the Mercer County Correction Center pending a detention hearing Friday morning.

The attached image of Michael Coleman was provided by the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office.

See related: Man Attempted To Lure Boy, 14, At Park In Mercer County: Police