Michelle Obama Threat Investigated, MPD Officer Talks About Shooting First Lady
Michelle Obama is not usually the subject of death threats or the same level of threatening speech leveled at her husband in today’s polarized political climate, but in Washington DC, a Metropolitan police officer is being investigated by his own agency as well as the Secret Service for making disturbing comments about shooting the First Lady.
More worryingly, the officer in question has served in the past protecting First Lady Michelle Obama, and has even been a part of her motorcycle escort. The alleged threat against Mrs. Obama was made Wednesday, and while direct quotes have not been provided to the media, the officer is said to have been involved in a discussion about security threats to the first family during a conversation amongst Special Operations Division officers.
During that conversation, the officer told fellow officers that he would shoot Michelle Obama, and even pulled up a picture on his cellphone of the type of firearm he claimed he would use to carry out the threat. Immediately, the officer’s comments were reported to superiors who began investigating the threat along with the Secret Service, the First Family’s protective detail.
In the interim, the MPD officer accused of threatening Michelle Obama has been moved to desk duty while the threat is investigated. Under United States Code Title 18, Section 871, threatening the President is a class D felony, punishable by five to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Whether or not the threat against Michelle Obama carried any real degree of danger is being assessed, and in response to press inquiry, Washington DC police spokeswoman Gwendolyn Crump commented in an email:
“We received an allegation that inappropriate comments were made. We are currently investigating the nature of those comments.”
Sources familiar with the investigation say the officer who made the remarks about Michelle Obama will likely face administrative action versus criminal charges.
