A 44-year-old man from Elkins, West Virginia, faces charges after allegedly threatening President Donald Trump and the local mayor. Christopher Curtis was arrested on July 8 following statements that authorities deemed a credible threat.
Curtis was fired from his job at the City Water Department on July 8. He then began making statements that witnesses reported as threats against Elkins Mayor Jerry Marco and Trump.
According to a criminal complaint, Curtis said he was put on earth to "cleanse the earth from people like Donald Trump." Witnesses described him acting as if he was splitting the president's head open with a pipe wrench.
City offices were locked down after the comments. The Randolph County Sheriff's Office called Curtis a credible threat to city employees. He was arrested around 2 p.m. that day.
Curtis pleaded not guilty and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on July 14.