A 22-year-old man was arrested after posting a video on social media in which he threatened Miami-Dade County Police Department (MDPD) officers with an AK-47 assault rifle, authorities said.
Vernon E. Kelson, 22, was arrested Tuesday on charges including written threats to kill or cause bodily harm, displaying a firearm while committing a felony and carrying a concealed firearm, the MDPD said in a statement.
Authorities said detectives were monitoring social media last weekend when they found video posted by Kelson on an account they knew about from a previous investigation.
An MDPD video, along with the statement, showed Kelson in a moving vehicle and holding an AK-47 as he drove past a Miami-Dade police car. Reports indicated that Kelson threatened to shoot the officers if they stopped him.
“Public order officers put on their uniforms every day and leave their homes without knowing if they will return,” MDPD Director Freddy Ramírez said in a statement. “I will not tolerate anyone, in any way, threatening my officers or anyone wearing the badge on their chest. I will make available the full resources of the Miami-Dade Police Department to bring these individuals to justice.”
Kelson was sent to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, in the aforementioned Florida county, and is expected to appear before a bond court this Wednesday, Local 10 television picks up.
With information from the EFE agency