Man Arrested For Alleged Obama Death Threats Apprehended By Massachusetts Police: Local Reports

Police in Mansfield, Massachusetts, arrested a local man who allegedly threatened to kill U.S. President Barack Obama, New England Cable News reported Sunday. The police detained the man at the request of the U.S. Secret Service. The suspect reportedly “refused to exit his residence” for about 90 minutes, and he did not cooperate with police on the scene.

Because of this difficulty, the police called a tactical team and negotiator, the cable-news outlet said. Ten minutes later, the suspect left the building and was arrested. Later, he was dispatch to a local hospital, with criminal charges pending. The incident is still under investigation.

The 26-year-old suspect, who has not been identified, has had mental-health issues and been arrested on another occasion, according to the Sun Chronicle in North Attleboro.

After the suspect was arrested, police told reporters there were “several items in plain view in the apartment that were cause for concern.” Consequently, a hazardous-materials team was sent to ensure the items did not constitute a danger to the public. The other residents of the apartment building were evacuated around 2:15 p.m EDT. Eventually, the hazmat team declared the scene was safe, and residents were allowed back in their homes after 6:30 p.m.

The Mansfield Police Department and Secret Service are still investigating.

Under federal law, the act of threatening the president of the U.S. is a felony, and includes “any threat to take the life of, to kidnap, or to inflict bodily harm” upon the president, president-elect, vice president or vice president-elect. Anybody who does this can be subject to a fine or a prison sentence of as long as five years, or both.

While some have claimed that Obama is the “most threatened” president in U.S. history, fact-checkers have debated this claim, which many say is exaggerated.