There is a big difference between actions and words. Many of us say things we never intend to follow through on — we’re just trying to make a statement. However, there is a time and a place for strong words. Saying them to the wrong people could result in someone taking them literally, or at least assuming that they could be literal.
This is the situation a New Jersey man finds himself in after a trip to a casino. Security guards thought that the man had consumed too much alcohol and was disturbing the atmosphere in the casino, so they called police to help. The casino’s security guards led the man out of the building to police, but not before he became violent, they say.
After police placed the man into a patrol car, they say his language crossed the line into criminal activity. According to reports, the man threatened to shoot one of the officers and harm his family as well. After the arrest, the man was charged with several counts related to the incident, including simple assault, disorderly conduct and making terroristic threats. He faces a preliminary hearing later this month.
Anyone can make poor decisions, especially when alcohol is involved. Unfortunately, those decisions have consequences. Someone who is facing charges relating to threatening police officers will need to mount an appropriate defense. While it is unlikely that a person, such as the one in this case, would follow through on threats of this nature, that isn’t the point: it’s the language that has gotten the man in trouble, not his intent.
Source: NJ.com, “Drunk N.J. man threatens to ‘put 2 bullets’ in police officer’s head after altercation at Pa. casino, cops say,” Alex Napoliello, May 7, 2014
