by Jamie Burch, ABC 7 News
A Perryton man is accused of threatening to kill President Joe Biden and hang his corpse from Statue of Liberty.
Shawn Ryan Summers, 34, is charged with:
* Threats Against the President and Successors
* Transmission of Threats in Interstate Communications
According to the criminal complaint, the threats began July 25 when Summers posted the following message on Facebook:
Joe Biden I vow to slit ur throat and hang ur lifeless corpse from the torch on the statue of liberty for all the world to see ….
On July 27, Summers emailed a screenshot of a second Facebook post to an Amarillo media outlet.
He said 140 lbs. of C-4 explosives were being shipped from 10 different locations to the White House.
“Heading YOUR WAY in my name. U can enjoy trying to find em,” said Summer’s post. “Rot in hell. I told you that an eviction notice was (imminent).”
Agents with the U.S. Secret Service interviewed Summers at his home on July 28.
According to the criminal complaint, Summers admitted making the threats against Biden.
He admitted knowing making the threats was wrong, but he claimed he was justified in doing so.
On July 29, Summers sent the same Amarillo media outlet a “number of disturbing emails” making threats against the president.
At 1:13 a.m. Summers wrote “keep doing it till someone does there job or do I need to come to the courthouse and make my point to his front door.”
Summers signed the email “Citizen zero.”
At 3:45 a.m., Summers said the secret service agents who came to his home “will be sure to never (have) a body recovered if they continue destroying my home and stealing my evidence.”
Another email said “secret service shows again they better respect my wishes and not (intimidate) me cuz next I’ll enforce the right to bear arms. Ya’ll piss off big homie.”
The criminal complaint was filed later that day.
Summers was arrested Saturday and booked into the Randall County Jail
On Tuesday, his public defender, Jason Hawkins, notified the courts he intends to rely upon an insanity defense.
Hawkins also requested Summers undergo a psychiatric evaluation to determine whether Summers is competent to stand trial and whether or not he was legally insane when the threats were made.
The motion was granted by the judge.
