A former LaFayette, Georgia, football star who played one year in the National Football League was arrested this weekend and charged with making terrorist threats against a local business owner.
On Saturday afternoon, Tony Burse was walking on West Main Street in LaFayette when he flagged down a city police officer. Burse told the officer he was on his way to the police department. Police officers were already on their way to a restaurant, Ash Kicking Barbecue, because someone reported Burse had threatened to "shoot the place up," according to an incident report.
Burse did not have any weapons on him at the time and told the officer that he and the owner of the barbecue place, Dale Shropshire, had a beef on Facebook.
Burse told officers that Shropshire had talked about him on Facebook and the two went back and forth online. Shropshire refused to meet Burse in person, so Burse decided to pay him a visit at the restaurant, Burse said. Burse told officers that, when he got there, Shropshire reached behind his back for his gun but never pulled it. Burse then backed off, according to the police report.
Shropshire told another officer Burse came to the restaurant and cursed at employees, made a scene and threatened to shoot the place up. Shropshire admitted to reaching for his gun, saying that was because he didn't feel safe, but he did not pull it out, police were told.
Four witnesses backed up what Shropshire said about Burse threatening to shoot the place up, according to police.
Burse was then arrested and charged with making terroristic threats, a misdemeanor.
Contact Patrick Filbin at pfilbin@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6476. Follow him on Twitter @PatrickFilbin.