Secret Service Investigating Alleged Bush Threat

http://www.abcnews.go.com/wire/US/reuters20020331_253.html ^ | March 31 2002 | ABC NEWS

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

Secret Service Investigating Alleged Bush Threat

— WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Secret Service said on Sunday it had no comment on a report that a trucker had been arrested outside Chattanooga, Tennessee after allegedly threatening President Bush.

"The Secret Service is conducting an investigation and due to there being an active, ongoing investigation, I can't make any further comment about it," said a Secret Service official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Cable News Network reported the man told police he had a 3,000-pound bomb "... and the president has problems," in a telephone conversation that led to his apprehension following a high-speed chase in his butane gas truck in southeastern Tennessee.

Monty Branch faced charges which included reckless driving, felony evading and possession of marijuana, Beth Womack of the Tennessee Highway Patrol told CNN.

Because of the alleged threat the Secret Service was notified, CNN said.

The telephone call to the Bradley County sheriff's department was taken as a threat. Branch, 29, of Frankfort, Kentucky, allegedly told authorities he had the bomb and was at a gas station in Charleston, Tennessee. "I've got problems and the president has problems," police quoted him as saying.

When police arrived at the gas station, the suspect was gone, according to Womack.

Branch was pursued to Henderson County, Womack told CNN, where Chattanooga police placed devices to puncture tires on the highway. After his tires were deflated, Branch was taken to the Bradley County Jail, according to police.

[ladyinred]

I just hope they are being careful to give this fella his rights! I am sure there are those who might complain that he isn't getting fair treatment and that he is just misunderstood. (sarcasm)

[RangeRatt]

with the marijuana posession charge, are they sure Branch didn't mean "a 3,000 pound bomber"?

[Fred Mertz]

Kentucky & Tennessee bump.

[nevergore]

How much would anyone wager that this was a alcohol/drug induced dumb*ss that is not a real threat????

Geeeeezz...the Darwin award candidates are rolling out this year....

Hey come to think about it, has anyone seen Al Gore lately????

NeverGore

[Mr. Buzzcut]

Butane is a bastard gas!

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Monty Branch faced charges which included reckless driving, felony evading and possession of marijuana...

And that's before the feds had a chance to charge him for threatening the President. Whoops!!

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Butane is a bastard gas!

Hank Hill agrees.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

He's probably not a real threat, but he's sitting in jail feeling real bright right now.

[jraven]

I think the prez has to be very careful -- he obviously is a prime target. But I think the biggest danger is going to come from those who won't announce it first...and who will have had experience riding camels.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Papa loves mama?

"He never hit the breaks, and he was shifting gears..."

[Diddle E. Squat]

breaks=brakes

Sheesh.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Yep, there's no way that the Prez or Secret Service is going to blow off a threat right now. There's been some good intelligence that al-Qaeda and other middle-east terrorist groups have been training to take out planes at the airport and specific cars in motorcades, so you better believe the Secret Service isn't messing around right now, which is the way it ought to be.

[sheik yerbouty]

Monty should get "The Full Monty."

[Travis McGee]

No comment.

[SLB]

It never ceases to amaze me the way people brag about what they want to do. Glad they do, as it makes catching the idiots easier. The ones that scare me are the silent ones that could slip through.

[petuniasevan]

"I've got problems and the president has problems," police quoted him as saying.

Well, I'd say the braggart has REAL problems now. He'd better start on an exercise regimen of toe-touches.
He'll need to be quick picking up the soap in the prison showers...

No one will ever threaten President Bush in my presence and get away with it. That's a promise.

[usconservative]

Monty Branch faced charges which included reckless driving, felony evading and possession of marijuana, Beth Womack of the Tennessee Highway Patrol told CNN.

Ahhh ... the demoKrat constituency rises again!

[Redbob]

He wouldn't be related to Mr. Python, now would he?