Chicago , July 06: A 55-year-old man who claimed that it was a “Constitutional duty” to kill Barack Obama has been charged with threatening to kill the US President whom he termed as the “usurper”.
A warrant was issued for Brian D Dutcher, 55, from Tomah, Wisconsin, for making the threat to kill the President.
The threat was made in La Crosse on Wednesday as Obama was in Wisconsin promoting his proposal for overtime pay reform, according to documents filed in US District Court in Madison.
Dutcher approached a security guard at the La Crosse Public Library and said, “The usurper is here and if I get a chance, I’ll take him out and I’ll take the shot,” according to an affidavit written by Secret Service Special Agent Jeffrey Ferris.
Dutcher was being kept in a mental health facility under a civil commitment sought by authorities in La Crosse County, US Attorney John Vaudreuil was quoted as saying by the Wisconsin State Journal.
Dutcher was interviewed by the Secret Service during which authorities said he confirmed the statement and said he had made similar statements on his Facebook page.
According to the affidavit, Dutcher earlier wrote on his Facebook page, “That’s it! Thursday I will be in La Crosse. Hopefully I will get a clear shot at the pretend president. Killing him is our Constitutional duty!”
Dutcher told a La Crosse police detective that his threat was serious and he would not have said what he said if he did not intend to carry it out, the affidavit states.
The threat was not publicly visible on Dutcher’s Facebook page on Thursday, but he did comment to friends in another post, “I have been praying on going to DC for 3 months and now the usurper is coming here. Saving me a 800-mile trip. Doing what I do for my daughter, so she can live free. Pray for me to succeed in my mission.”
“Secret service is probably tracking my phone right now. I do not hide what I am doing, Constitutionally,” he said.