Man, 22, arrested over alleged social media threat to harm Miami-Dade police officer
MIAMI -- A Miami man has been arrested after he allegedly made threats on social media while holding an AK-47 to hurt a Miami-Dade Police Department officer, officials said Tuesday.
Vernon E.. Kelson, 22, is facing a host of charges, including making written threats to kill or cause bodily injury, using or displaying a firearm while committing a felony and openly carrying a weapon, according to the police arrest farm.
"I will not tolerate anyone, in any way, to threaten my officers or anyone bearing the badge on their chest," police Director Freddy Ramirez said in the statement. "I will make available all of the resources of the Miami-Dade Police Department to bring those individuals to justice."
Police said they learned of Kelson's threats while reviewing the social media posts "from a known account" linked to a previous police investigation.
Officials did not disclose the nature of the prior police investigation.
Investigators saw a video on the social post that allegedly showed Kelson in a moving vehicle as he displayed the assault rifle and as the vehicle passed a marked police cruiser.
Police said the subject then made threats to harm the officer if the vehicle he was in was stopped.
A task force of law enforcement officers found the man and took him into custody, according to police.
