It’s a sticky situation. While Hillary Clinton gave notice after terrorist Omar Mateen slaughtered 50 at an Orlando nightclub that “hate is not the answer to hate,” the Department of Homeland Security still advises American citizens to speak up if “someone’s behavior … doesn’t seem quite right.”
So will police in Denton, Texas, be lauded or criticized for arresting 28-year-old Peshwaz Waise for making terroristic threats? The man encountered police several times as he made his way around town “speaking irrationally” and trying to hand out copies of the Quran, rather aggressively.
Man with Quran made threats before arrest at Denton County Courthouse, police say https://t.co/fVZ2nZyuaw pic.twitter.com/L8g7ciDTJ6
— Naheed Rajwani (@naheedrajwani) June 15, 2016
Although police at first said the man was making people uncomfortable but breaking no laws, he eventually entered the Center for Women Presbyterian Hospital and allegedly directed an employee to deliver a Quran to the hospital chaplain or chapel or she would die, and the hospital would “go down,” the Dallas Morning News reports.
Waise reportedly left the scene before police arrived and made his way to the Denton County Court House, where, according to FOX 4, he waved a Quran in the air, made threats against judges, and told arresting officers that he was “imposing the death penalty” on them, adding that “anyone who touches me is going to bleed.”
Police respond to disturbance outside Denton County courthouse… https://t.co/GTpntDYLW2 pic.twitter.com/W4zC67zDuc
— FOX 4 NEWS (@FOX4) June 15, 2016
A robot was used to search his car in the courthouse parking lot.
Bomb squad robot deployed to check out a vehicle in the Denton Co. courthouse parking lot… https://t.co/GTpntDYLW2 pic.twitter.com/Qz5ZiMbbSM
— FOX 4 NEWS (@FOX4) June 15, 2016
Police released the following statement to the media:
The press release sent to DFW media in reference to the incident at the Denton County Courthouse this morning. pic.twitter.com/kivkVgY884
— Denton Police Dept (@DENTONPD) June 15, 2016
This can’t be called an incident of workplace violence, like that beheading in Oklahoma a couple of years back. So, will the police be credited with possibly stopping a terror attack, or accused of profiling?
Update:
Not much has been released about Waise, but no one will be shamed this time around for assuming he wasn’t born in the United States.
#FOX4News:DentonPD:This Iraqi born man made terroristic threats @TXHealthPresby n Denton& went2 Courthouse screaming pic.twitter.com/c49J4mUi0a
— James Rose (@JamesRoseOA) June 15, 2016
Side note: Donald Trump is scheduled to hold a campaign event at Gilley’s in Dallas Thursday evening.
Restaurant employee says #Iraqi man arrested for terroristic threats thrown out after arguing with customer wearing a #Trump shirt @CBSDFW
— Joel Thomas (@CBS11Joel) June 15, 2016
In the news car engulfed in fake tear gas DPD training for crowd control on eve of @realDonaldTrump visit pic.twitter.com/ccVqqlf3Q7
— Richard Ray (@RichardRayTX) June 15, 2016
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