A St. Louis man has been arrested, after allegedly making a World Series-related bomb threat on Twitter. Robert Metzinger was charged on Saturday for making a terrorist threat, after taking to the social media site and implying that he would use an explosive device around Busch Stadium during the World Series, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
His Twitter account has been deleted since then, but one tweet stated: “Putting my loft up for a ridiculous ‘Boston-only’ rate for the #WorldSeries. Pressure cooker sold separately.”
What does Metzinger’s terrorist threat charge mean?
Making a Terrorist Threat
All states have criminal laws regarding threats – these usually entail any spoken or written words that are intended to intimidate or menace others. Terrorist threats are a specific type of threat, distinguished by the fact that they typically involve some threat of great bodily injury or death.
Terrorist threat definitions vary by state. Missouri law generally defines a terrorist threat as:
No Action, But Still a Crime
While terrorist threats are usually classified as a felony in Missouri, a lesser version of that exists in the form of a misdemeanor charge when one makes a terrorist threat with criminal negligence with regard to the risk of causing a possible evacuation or closure of any building.
Court records state that Metzinger was released on a $10,000 bond, and Reuters reports that a judge has also ordered him to undergo a mental evaluation. He is slated to appear in court again later in November.
This is not the first time someone has been arrested for making a threat on Twitter. So, let this be a lesson to all die-hard sports fans. Let’s not take our allegiances too seriously, now.
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Related Resources:
- St. Louis man arrested, accused of Boston threats (USA Today)
- Kyle Williams Death Threats Not OK: Tweets Can Get You Arrested (FindLaw’s Tarnished Twenty)
- Twitter Threats Can Lead to Restraining Orders (FindLaw’s Blotter)
- Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s Twitter Death Threats (FindLaw’s Blotter)
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