Kirkland man arrested for threatening to kill Ferguson police officer

A Kirkland man previously convicted of several drug felonies, has been arrested for allegedly threatening to kill former Ferguson, Mo. police officer Darren Wilson for the shooting of teen Michael Brown.

Jalleel Tariq Abdul-Jabbaar, 46, was arrested at his home Tuesday morning without incident, Acting U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes announced.

According to a federal complaint, Abdul-Jabbaar made repeated threats on Facebook to kill the officer identified only as D.W., his family, and other law enforcement officers following the controversial shooting.

The complaint says in one posting made on or around Nov. 11, 2014, Abdul-Jabbaar wrote “are there any REAL BLACK MEN that would love to go down to Ferguson, Missouri to give back those bullets that Police Officer [D.W.] fired into the body of Mike Brown. If we’re unable to locate Officer [D.W.] then We’ll return them to his wife and if not her then his children [SIC].”

Abdul-Jabbaar made other similar threats in a number of other posts the complaint says.

“We are fortunate to live in a country where the right to speak out about current events and disagree with our government is protected by the highest law of the land. Our freedom of speech does not, however, extend to making threats to kill or injure law enforcement officers,” said Hayes in a statement. “Although we each have the right to express our views about the decision reached by the state grand jury in Ferguson, Missouri, we cannot tolerate violence or threats of violence that are intended to intimidate, and ultimately silence debate. Such threats are crimes, and the individuals who make them must be held to account.”

The complaint also accuses Abdul-Jabbaar of trying to acquire a gun through communications on Facebook. His previous felony convictions prohibit him from possessing a firearm, the complaint says.

Abdul-Jabbaar is due in federal court Tuesday afternoon. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison.