Man accused of death threats to Tacoma City Council over bowling alley

A man is accused of threatening to kill the entire Tacoma City Council if even “one splinter or brick” is removed from a bowling alley slated for demolition.

Court documents say 60-year-old David Ide left a series of threatening voice mails, each more threatening. One call said that there would be “repercussions” for the demolition of the building.

Other calls were laden with profanity, racial slurs, and various other violent threats.

Law enforcement identified him using surveillance footage, showing Ide purchasing the cellphone used to make the calls.

A search of his home produced what deputy prosecutor Jesse Williams called “an alarming number of weapons,” including ninja stars, crossbows, swords, slingshots, and more. Authorities also found a website with photos of Tacoma’s council members open on his computer.

The News Tribune reports prosecutors took the threats seriously; Ide has a prior murder conviction from 1992. He served 17 years in prison for second-degree murder, shooting 22-year-old Timoree Suzelle Martin.

For this latest incident, he was arrested Monday leaving the bowling alley. He’s pleaded not guilty to nine counts of intimidating a public servant, and one count of harassment. A Pierce County Superior Court Judge set his bail at $1 million.

After 60 years, Pacific Lanes Bowling is being torn down to make way for a new apartment complex.