Man arrested for "terroristic" death threats against CNN's Don Lemon
An Arkansas man was arrested on Election Day for allegedly making death threats against CNN anchor Don Lemon in more than 40 calls he placed to the network's headquarters. Authorities said the man also called MSNBC and two top Democrats in Congress, showing a "pattern of harassment toward certain political affiliations."
Benjamin Craig Matthews, 39, faces five felony counts of terroristic threatening, as well as 13 misdemeanor counts for threats and harassing communications, according to an affidavit filed in Baxter County Circuit Court.
Matthews allegedly called CNN's Atlanta headquarters dozens of times between Oct. 31 and Nov. 2. Those included three calls Oct. 31, and six calls within 23 minutes on both Nov. 1 and 2, the affidavit says.
Matthews allegedly made violent threats against Lemon in several calls. In one of his first calls, he said he would like to "kick the s--- out of" Lemon, the affidavit says. The next day, he asked an operator to connect him to Lemon's "dead body hanging from a tree." In another call he asked to direct his call to "pipe bombs for" Lemon, and in another he talked about "bloody pictures" of Lemon "cut up in small pieces, like the movie Saw," the affidavit says.
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According to the affidavit, Matthews also called Rep. Maxine Waters, D-California, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, the Washington Speakers Bureau, Planned Parenthood, and Stormy Daniels' attorney Michael Avenatti.
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Man arrested for "terroristic" death threats against CNN's Don Lemon
An Arkansas man was arrested on Election Day for allegedly making death threats against CNN anchor Don Lemon in more than 40 calls he placed to the network's headquarters. Authorities said the man also called MSNBC and two top Democrats in Congress, showing a "pattern of harassment toward certain political affiliations."
Benjamin Craig Matthews, 39, faces five felony counts of terroristic threatening, as well as 13 misdemeanor counts for threats and harassing communications, according to an affidavit filed in Baxter County Circuit Court.
Matthews allegedly called CNN's Atlanta headquarters dozens of times between Oct. 31 and Nov. 2. Those included three calls Oct. 31, and six calls within 23 minutes on both Nov. 1 and 2, the affidavit says.
Matthews allegedly made violent threats against Lemon in several calls. In one of his first calls, he said he would like to "kick the s--- out of" Lemon, the affidavit says. The next day, he asked an operator to connect him to Lemon's "dead body hanging from a tree." In another call he asked to direct his call to "pipe bombs for" Lemon, and in another he talked about "bloody pictures" of Lemon "cut up in small pieces, like the movie Saw," the affidavit says.
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According to the affidavit, Matthews also called Rep. Maxine Waters, D-California, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, the Washington Speakers Bureau, Planned Parenthood, and Stormy Daniels' attorney Michael Avenatti.
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Man arrested for "terroristic" death threats against CNN's Don Lemon
