Man arrested for threatening New York police officers and mayor
Ridon Kola is accused of threatening to kill Yonkers police and the mayor, U.S. Attorneys said on Friday, March 17, 2023. (Picture from the federal criminal complaint)
A 32-year-old man who authorities say supports radical Islamic extremism and was seen wielding an ax in a social media post threatened to kill Yonkers police officers and the mayor at Yonkers’ St. Patrick’s Day parade in New York , the authorities said.
Ridon Kola was arrested Friday before an attack on Saturday’s parade could be carried out, officials said.
“As alleged, Ridon Kola has posted threats against law enforcement on social media, expressing his support for ISIS and his intent to assassinate scores of police officers,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement. “Understood by law enforcement questioning, Kola’s behavior escalated as he continued to assure police that his threats would be carried out. Threats of violence against the police or to undermine public safety will not be tolerated.”
in one tweetMayor Mike Spano commended authorities for thwarting the threat.
“Yonkers is proud to host one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day parades in New York, and threats like this will not stop us from celebrating the many contributions made by our Irish-American community,” he said.
Details of Kola were revealed in an unsealed complaint alleging he was involved in escalating threats of violence, including a threat against the Yonkers Police Department and the mayor at Yonkers’ St. Patrick’s Day parade.
The threats first surfaced in messages to an official Yonkers Police Department social media account in November.
One read in Albanian, “I’m going to slaughter you little girls.”
The following month a message read: “Starting tomorrow I’ll start killing your officers just so you know who’s doing it Ridon Kola Albanian blood and I’ll kill your fat rat mayor”.
He later admitted to detectives in an interview at his home that he wrote the posts, but said he would not harm the officers or the mayor. Still, police warned officers to exercise caution in their encounters with the suspect, officials said.
He later sent a direct message to the Yonkers Police Department’s social media account, citing the interview with detectives, saying:
“I am looking for this officer who came to my home and threatened to kill me and my family. I’ll burn the world down until I find him Vallahi [by God]no matter what happens to me, there will never be peace in this country again!”
He allegedly expressed support for jihad, or war against non-Muslims, and proposed establishing a caliphate, or Islamic state, through violence and killing, court documents said.
In another post, Kola reportedly praised Sayfulo Saipov, who was recently convicted of terrorism and murder in connection with a truck attack in Manhattan that killed eight people on Halloween 2017, court records show.
Kola escalated his threats, officials said.
“Now America and the world is personal!!!” and a threat to burn them “cia fbi nsa police jud[g]It also lives with their families!” Kola’s social media account profile said on March 9, records show.
On that day, he allegedly sent two direct messages to the YPD social media account:
“The first people to be crucified will be the Yonkers rats Vallahi. Allahu Ekberr”; and “I will crucify Yonkers cops and their bosses along McLean Avenue.” referring to part of the route for Saturday’s Yonkers St. Patrick’s Day parade and near where authorities say he lives. “It’s going to be a horror scene. . . Allahu Ekber.”
In a post on Sunday on his social media feed, he had a photo of himself holding an ax with a statement in Albanian and saying, “Come on Judas I’ll wait for you.”
A criminal complaint filed in federal court in New York charges Kola with threatening interstate communications. The charge carries a prison sentence of up to five years.
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https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/man-seen-holding-ax-in-photo-threatens-to-crucify-yonkers-cops-and-their-bosses-in-st-patricks-day-parade-horror-scene-feds/ Man arrested for threatening New York police officers and mayor
