PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon man has been arrested on charges of threatening to kill President Barack Obama and his family.
Darryl James Swanson made his first court appearance Tuesday and was detained for a mental health evaluation. He did not enter a plea.
The Secret Service arrested the 45-year-old Portland man Friday in connection with the threats.
Court documents show Swanson admitted calling The Associated Press on May 2 and leaving a message that used a racial epithet and said he would seek weapons from al-Qaida to shoot the president and his family.
The documents show that a Secret Service agent warned Swanson against threatening the president but he continued to leave messages with government and law enforcement agencies in Florida, Oregon and Washington.
A family friend says Swanson is “harmless.”
