Was a drug bust used as an excuse to arrest someone as a political prisoner? Some are saying “Yes.”
Shannon Atkins, known in South Florida as Big Mama, was arrested on Jan. 24 on drug possession. The arrest quickly escalated, and he is charged with making threats against President Donald Trump.
The arrest was reported on WPB.org, but that report appears to have been taken down.
The since-deleted report said officers were following Atkins and pulled him over for a traffic violation. They reportedly found about three grams of cocaine and arrested him.
However, authorities were really after him for a different reason. Before Trump resumed the presidency, the FBI got a tip from a man in Okeechobee that Atkins made “disturbing” social media posts about killing the president.
During a news conference, West Palm Police Department Chief Tony Araujo said the posts named Lincoln, MLK, Reagan, and Trump and that “unfortunately one is still alive.” Another allegedly says, “Bullets, please. Jesus save America,” and another reads, “I’ve been banned from X [formerly Twitter] because I said I hope and pray someone kills him. We haven’t had an assassination in years.”
Araujo says that gives “a flavor” of the posts. He also says Atkins admitted to the posts but said he was “joking.”
He is charged with “intimidation- written/electric threat to kill bodily harm anothr” [sic] as well as possession of drug and contraband.
Threatening the president, vice-president, presidential candidates or people in the line of succession is a federal crime, and according to Criminal Defense Attorney Russell Cormican, it’s still illegal even if the person didn’t intend to carry out the threat.
“However, the law has been interpreted to apply only to true threats and not statements of political hyperbole or those obviously made in jest,” Cormican said. “So, in this case, the specific language used and the context the statements were made in will need to be examined to see if they rise to the level of a true threat.”
Political Intimidation
Friends and supporters are calling for his release. One told WPTV that Atkins is a “jokester.” While Araujo described Trump as the “victim,” others believe Atkins is a victim of intimidation and an attempt to silence political dissent.
Trump supporters are known to be social media savvy and appear to be looking for any excuse to inform on their neighbors. It’s a practice Araujo seemed to endorse.
“They are our partners, our eyes and ears. We encourage you to report anything suspicious [to law enforcement.]”
This is a developing story. Follow OutSFL.com and our social media for updates.
