A Jacksonville man is facing a felony charge after allegedly threatening to run over local ICE protesters with a tow truck, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
The agency launched a probe Tuesday after receiving a tip about a social media post from 26-year-old Zachary Degross.
“Look as a Jacksonville resident of if I see any large gatherings to protest ice I’m going to grab my buddies tow truck and plow through every ignant, un-american swine I see protesting the deportation of ILLEGAL immigrants, since you believe in them so much why don’t you go with,” the post stated, according to JSO.
The agency’s intelligence unit traced the activity to Degross, and investigators were dispatched to his home in Duval County.
TWO ST. JOHNS COUNTY ANTI-TRUMP PROTESTS SLATED FOR SATURDAY
After an interview, he was charged with making threats to conduct an act of terrorism, a second-degree felony.
“Making a threat like the one Degross made is a felony,” the agency said in a Facebook post. “If you are making threats online to harm others, even if you don’t intend to follow through with that action, we will arrest you.”
The arrest comes at a time of heightened political tension nationwide, with multiple anti-Trump protests and counter actions planned for this weekend in several major cities, including both Duval and St. Johns Counties.
One anti-Trump gathering is planned at the intersection of U.S. 1 and Race Track Road in St. Johns County and another set to take place near the Castillo de San Marcos in downtown St. Augustine.
The demonstrations also come in the backdrop of ongoing protests over immigration policy in Los Angeles and other major cities.
“We take every threat incredibly seriously,” JSO wrote. “If you see a threat online about harming others, report it to us immediately. We are monitoring protests nationwide, and we will continue to work hard to protect everyone in Jacksonville.”
