30 firearms seized from Missouri man who allegedly threatened the president
A northern Missouri man who allegedly threatened to shoot the president and a county sheriff had 30 firearms, including numerous military-style rifles, when he was arrested, according to authorities.
Christopher C. Kelley is in federal custody on a firearms charge after the guns were found Wednesday in a search of Kelley’s property in Cameron, Mo.
Kelley, 42, illegally possessed the firearms while being under a civil court order of protection, according to an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Kansas City.
The order of protection, filed in Clinton County Circuit Court, specifically prohibited Kelley from possessing firearms.
According to the charges, Kelley allegedly made comments about killing the sheriff and the president in October while at the Clinton County Courthouse.
He also allegedly made comments about hating police officers.
In November, after a Missouri Highway Patrol trooper gave Kelley a warning about running a stop sign in St. Joseph, Kelley allegedly followed the trooper to a restaurant and angrily confronted him and other troopers, the court documents allege.
A witness told investigators that Kelley, who had military training, had said that his job is to “win the hearts and minds or shoot them in the face.”
On Monday, officers went to Kelley’s home to check if he had any firearms in violation of the court order.
He denied having any weapons, and later told a witness that he hates “cops,” and said that he wasn’t going to hurt himself but “might hurt somebody else,” according to the allegations.
Based on the alleged threats and reports that he had guns in violation of the order, authorities obtained a search warrant.
Among the weapons found were several M1 rifles like those used by U.S. forces in World War II. There were also multiple shotguns and handguns, according to the court documents.
Federal prosecutors have filed notice that they are seeking to have Kelley held without bond while the case is pending.