Posted on 08/31/2004 11:34:06 AM PDT by dead
Tampa, Florida - A police officer who mouthed off while picking up his uniform at the cleaners has been indicted on a charge of threatening President George W Bush for allegedly saying he would shoot him and his father if someone gave him the bullets.
Joseph Mazagwu, 35, surrendered on Friday on charges of threatening the president and lying to investigators. The rookie officer has been suspended from the force and could lose his job.
If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison. He had no comment after his first court appearance and was released on $25 000 bail. The prosecutor said there was no evidence Mazagwu pursued the threat.
His lawyer, Deeann Athan, said the charge stemmed from "a huge misunderstanding".
On July 15, a day before Bush visited Tampa, Mazagwu was picking up his dry cleaning when the owner asked if he would be part of the president's security detail.
The 11-year US Army veteran and Nigerian native answered that he would not work it under any circumstances and criticised the war in Iraq and US policies in Africa.
Assistant US Attorney Robert O'Neill alleged that Mazagwu said words to the effect: "The president needs to be shot. His father needs to be shot. If someone gave me bullets, I would do that."
The cleaner reported the remarks to another Tampa officer on the day of Bush's visit, police spokesperson Laura McElroy said.
Edited by Tisha Steyn
No doubt the darling of the diversity enthusiasts in the Tampa bureaucracy...
Joseph does not sound like a muslim name.
Joseph Mazagwu, 35, surrendered on Friday on charges of threatening the president and lying to investigators. The rookie officer has been suspended from the force and could lose his job.
If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison. He had no comment after his first court appearance and was released on $25 000 bail. The prosecutor said there was no evidence Mazagwu pursued the threat.
= = = =
Normally I'm a big police supporter. Not in this case. Looks like a DemoRAT nutcase got a job in the police department.
Shocking!
"The charges of lying to an investigator might indicate that the officer initially denied making a threat and then later admitted it. "
Sounds like your admission of guilt. Luckily the guy was dumb enough not to realize that someone HAD bought the bullets for him - the taxpayers of Florida.
He wants to shoot someone, send him to Iraq.
If he actually said that (innocent until proven guilty and all that) I have two words to describe Officer Mazagwu: enemy combatant.
Why is he not in Jail??
Odds are that he is a democrat.
Even greater odds are that he is still riding around in a patrol car.
Since diversity, since affirmative action, since the regime of bill clinton.
Of course, the dry-cleaner would have been legally obligated to give his name to this guy too.
Secret Service Agent #1: I'm sorry, Mr. Mazagwu. What part of body cavity search didn't you understand?
Doesn't matter; to some around here, anyone not from north west Europe is merely a Muslim in hiding, and obviously a terrorist lying in wait.
Unfortunately true.
Not THAT Joseph Mazagwu!! I was about to conclude a most delicate financial transaction with him that was totally legal, risk free and would result in my becoming a millionaire overnight. He guaranteed it...
The writer of the article forgot to mention whether he is a member in good standing of the islamic faith.
"We are turning into a third-world nation. We have lost the dignity and decorum of a Western, civilized country. To wit: this fellow and the demonstrators in NYC."
Agreed and I'm sick of it. We need to stop importing America haters, we've already got a home grown overstock. And I'd like the Dems to answer why we need Nigerians to be our policemen, aren't those "good middle class jobs"? But of course the Nigerian probably goes to the head of the line since he is black. And he may in all likelihood be a Muslim. An immigrant policeman who wants to assassinate our president. Good Job Tampa Bay!
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