Background: Video allegedly taken by Emily Staten of the Sebring Police Department headquarters as she drove by (Sebring Police Department). Inset: Emily Staten (Sebring Police Department).
A woman is accused of sending hundreds of threatening messages to a Florida police department, including death threats and video of her in the vicinity of the headquarters.
Emily Staten, 27, has been charged with sending a written threat to kill, using a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony, and threatening a law enforcement officer with death or serious bodily harm, according to Highland County court records.
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The alleged transgressions took place on Friday evening, when the Sebring Police Department said it “was alerted to threatening comments and video which were posted on social media by an individual named Emily Staten.” According to the department, Staten used Facebook Messenger to issue death threats and threats of violence against its officers.
As the agency investigated, it allegedly found that Staten made roughly 200 posts and messages over the course of four hours, with “many of them threatening in nature.” She also is said to have sent footage of herself driving by the department in a threatening manner – footage that the department shared.
In the video, a person who is alleged to be Staten is off-screen and driving toward the police headquarters while exclaiming, “hey fat piggies, you see? You see? How lovely would it be to throw a Molotov cocktail through that window?”
The driver then speeds on by while a man elsewhere in the vehicle can apparently be heard saying “babe, babe.”
The local police department also shared excerpts from Staten”s allegedly threatening posts, noting that “the content of much of her communication is too vulgar to share.”
“If you don’t want me to throw Molotov cocktails through the downtown department, respond now” reads one message.
“I hid all the bottles of gas all around the building” declares another.
Staten also allegedly warned, “This is a threat come find me I want to kill you,” and “Come get shot, I am making a threat against the Sebring Police Department.”
The law enforcement agency sought to clarify that it protects and respects free speech but cannot allow threats of violence.
“We encourage and want everyone to enjoy freedom of speech. However, when free speech crosses the line and turns into threats of violence, we will act swiftly. Threats to kill or do harm will not be tolerated,” the Sebring Police Department said.
Staten’s alleged motive for making the threats — if she had any — remains unclear.
Sebring is a town of about 12,000 people located in central Florida, about 90 miles southeast of Tampa.
Staten was arrested on Friday and placed on a $63,000 bond.
