A Salt Lake City man is facing charges after he allegedly threatened the mayor in addition to encouraging attendants to bring guns to a rally planned for protesting the shelter-in-place order.
A St. George resident planned a protest that took place last Saturday, and hundreds of people, many ignoring social distancing recommendations and without anything protecting their faces, showed up in Washington Square at the City-County Building to fight against orders put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
One of the ways the event was promoted was on a Facebook page, and it was reported that a commenter, identified as 58-year-old Marlin Richard Baer, left a post that was deemed an attempt to orchestrate a violent outcome.
In a part of the body of his message Baer was reported as stating, “Bring your guns, the civil war starts Saturday, Be prepared to defend our god given constitutional right.”
The authorities reported that the day before the rally, Baer called Mayor Erin Mendenhall’s office and warned that if she did not comply with the demands to reopen the city “she’ll be forcibly removed from office.” He also allegedly added that the police would not be able to stop him, and reportedly said that a civil war was imminent.
When the authorities learned of the situation they asserted that Baer could pose a serious threat, especially since they felt the people who showed up at the rally would already be in a heightened emotional state.
On Friday, Baer was located by the authorities and he was taken into custody for the allegations.
Baer was booked into the Salt Lake City Jail, and he is expected to face charges for suspicion of making a terroristic threat, and electronic communication harassment.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a crime, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.