GREENBRIER, TN – A Greenbrier man is in custody after allegedly making threats on social media toward President Donald Trump.
Andrew Long Ryan, 37, was indicted by a federal grand jury on Wednesday for two counts of making threats against the president.
Ryan remains in federal custody after being initially charged in a criminal complaint on June 18.
Ryan, who was previously a training officer with the Bowling Green Police Department in Kentucky, allegedly made the threats on social media in May around the time of the president’s visit to Nashville.
According to authorities, one Facebook post read, “Death is coming.” He’s also accused of tweeting, “I will kill Donald Trump if you don’t follow my leaders lead.”
Ryan reportedly behaved erratically on several occasions leading up to the president’s visit. Court documents state that he displayed a “declining mental state and threatening behavior” over the course of several months.
In June, he was taken into custody by the Robertson County Sheriff’s Office for allegedly violating a protective order.
Several weapons were seized from Ryan’s home in February after several law enforcement officers “expressed concern that Ryan’s behavior would escalate into an act of mass violence.”
The Bowling Green Police Department said on Thursday that Ryan never exercised police powers in an individual capacity there.
“During the entirety of his employment, Ryan was either attending the Basic Police Academy in a non-sworn capacity, or was in a Field Training Program and supervised by a Police Training Officer,” Bowling Green Police Chief Doug Hawkins said in a news release.
Ryan was hired on June 20, 2005, and completed the Department of Criminal Justice Training Basic Academy on Oct. 28, 2005. He then transitioned into the Field Training Program under direct supervision.
Hawkins said Ryan failed to complete the Field Training Program and resigned Feb. 14, 2006.
The U.S. Secret Service investigated the case, along with help from the Greenbrier Police Department, the Federal Protective Service and the FBI.
Source: http://www.wsmv.com/story/38477973/former-police-officer-accused-of-making-threats-against-president