During the overnight, New Haven Police arrested 53 year old Jeffrey Hanson of Orange, Connecticut for the Facebook Comment. He has a $50k bond for Breach of Peace and will be arraigned Monday. pic.twitter.com/fzDxnIEbIG
— NewHavenPD (@NewHavenPolice) August 10, 2019
The New Haven, Conn. Puerto Rican Festival reportedly went off without a hitch on Saturday, but that event was prefaced by an arrest that evoked a recent mass shooting. Police announced the arrest of Jeffrey Hanson, 53, for second-degree breach of peace, according to The New Haven Register. Hanson allegedly commented under a WTNH-TV news story that the event was why “we need 30 round magazines.”
Police Chief Otoniel Reyes told reporters that his department took the post seriously and launched an investigation. He said officers did not find a credible threat. Regardless, the comment was enough for police to charge Hanson with breaching the peace.
Nonetheless, it did set locals on edge because of the August 3 mass shooting in El Paso, Texas. Police over there say the gunman admitted to targeting Mexican people.
“Whenever anyone threatens the safety of anyone, it is something that is a high priority for us, especially with the climate today around the country where hateful rhetoric has led to violence,” Reyes said according to NBC Connecticut. “We wanted to make sure that our public here in New Haven and the national public knew that this is not something we were going to take lightly.”
It’s unclear if Hanson has an attorney in the matter. The defendant reportedly posted a $50,000 bond, and is scheduled to appear in court Monday. He allegedly made the post in an account under the name Jake Wilson, who purported to be a “black homosexual.”
[Mugshot via New Haven Police Department.]
