NEWTOWN, Conn. (AP) – A Connecticut man charged with threatening to shoot police on social media said Thursday that the posting was a satirical response to a video showing what he called police misconduct in Georgia.
Alexander Hassinger, 24, was arrested at his Newtown home Wednesday evening on harassment and breach of peace charges.
State police said Hassinger posted the threat earlier in the day on Twitter, writing “imma kill a cop today and when they ask my why I did it, imma tell them he was acting nervous and looked at me wrong.” Someone in Virginia reported the post, officials said.
Hassinger told The Associated Press the posting was made in jest in response to a police body camera video he saw on the internet.
“I’m speaking my mind on the internet, but I’m not doing anything wrong,” he said. “It seems weird because it seems like I should have freedom of speech.”