A southern Indiana man was arrested on Thursday in connection with the making of an internet video that included threats against Donald Trump and his family.
Floyd County prosecutor Keith Henderson told reporters the investigation started after a person in Atlanta alerted authorities to the video after watching it online. Federal agents, including the U.S. Secret Service quickly joined in the investigation that resulted in the arrested of Richard Deville, Jr., 26.
Authorities say Deville, Jr. admitted to making the three and half minute video alone because he thought it would make him look cool, according to a report on WLKY.
In the video, a man who authorities say is Deville Jr. is seen wearing a mask that covers approximately half of his face and holding two handguns.
“Your daughter, your wife and you are dead, bitch,” the man says while pointing the guns at the camera. “I’m serious. You are dead.”
The man also says he thinks Trump will “put blacks back to slaves,” according to the report.
“It was very strongly worded, and I think the message needs to be sent that’s not allowed and we’re going to hold someone criminally liable for that,” Henderson said, according to WLKY. “Our country stands for freedom of speech but it absolutely cannot tolerate someone’s life being threatened because they run for office.”
Henderson said authorities confirmed the guns were loaded because in the video the man is shown sliding out the magazines to show that the bullets are real.
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Deville’s father and Jackie Cox, the mother of his child, spoke out about the charges in an interview with WISHTV.
Both told the reporter Deville Jr. is on disability due to a mental handicap and they believe he did this to impress his friends. They also said they do not think he was sober when he made the video.
“He does this stuff to impress his friends. That’s why he does it. You know, he’s slow. He’s slow in the head and his friends take advantage of it,” Cox told WISHTV.
Cox claims she was on the phone with Deville, Jr. just prior to the making of the video and she heard his friends encouraging him to do it.
“I kept telling him don’t do it. Don’t do it and you can hear his friends in the background saying just do it. You’re the one that looks tough,” Cox said.
This statement seems to contradict Deville Jr.’s claim that he made the video alone.
Deville Jr. was charged with intimidation and unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious felon. He is expected to appear in court on Friday morning.
[image via screengrab]
