HollyMatkinMartinsburg, WV – A West Virginia man who posted threats against law enforcement officers on social media platforms has been arrested for threatening to commit a terrorist act.
According to his Facebook page, Gary Jones, 46, has been making anti-police comments for years, but his opinions turned into threats beginning in the summer of 2017.
West Virginia State Trooper Fred Edwards said that Martinsburg Police Department Corporal Eric Neely had arrested Jones for driving with a suspended license the day before Jones made the first post, the Herald-Mail Media reported.
“Iam on a cop manhunt for Martinsburg city cop Eric Neely can anybody out there tell me we’re he lives,” Jones posted on July 19, 2017, kicking off a series of concerning messages.
Others asked him why he would be looking for a cop, and told him to leave the officer alone.
“Cause iam going to,,,,,. Wack YO ,,,his A**,” Jones replied. “I have something for him…Something big fir that s**t face ,PiG.”
Jones then claimed to have spoken to the officer directly.
“Ha,,,,well I just wanted that cop to know that I am looking for him ,,,he knows now ,,,I send him a couple of messages ,,,I tried to get him to come over here to the house bunch of times but ,,I think he scared,” he boasted.
Jones resumed his quest to locate Cpl. Neely on Jan. 4.
“Iam on a serious MANHUNT for , MARTINSBURG CITY POLICE OFFICER ,,,,ERIC NEELY ,,,,can anybody tell ME WHERE HE LIVES. ,,,,I NEED TO FIND HIM,” he wrote.
Later the same day, he added other law enforcement officers to his list.
“And iam on the manhunt for Berkeley county cop ,,,, deputy Cox ,,,,aka c**k face. He is not hard to miss cause he looks like a walking dirty c**k can anybody tell me were he lives I got something for him ,,,,,and one of his buddy’s officer ,,,, HUMPFERS,” Jones declared.
He then returned to threatening Cpl. Neely.
“Eric Neely I feel sorry for you ,,,when I find ya,,,, I got something really interesting for you,” he cautioned.
Jones’ Facebook threats resumed on Feb. 16.
“I am going to pull this trigger,,,,,bang,,,,bye,” he wrote. “And there is no ,,PIGS ,,,to come to my house at all.”
“If pigs come here here be careful,” Jones taunted.
According to court documents, Jones posted another comment on Feb. 17, related to an officer-involved shooting at the Coco Loco club in Inwood, The Journal reported.
“it should have the cops that got shot ,,,, I hope they burn in HELL on there judgment day,” Jones wrote in the now-deleted post.
He also made threatening comments on The Journal’s online post about the shooting, The Journal reported.
Jones appeared to boast about his drug use in at least one of his Facebook posts.
“Got myself locked in bathroom in my basement. Dont know iam comin out got my glass. Pipe on fire ,,iam all f****n phyco. Crazy,” he wrote.
He repeatedly made online posts asking if anyone had firearms to sell to him.
“Convicted felons aren’t allowed to have guns!!!” one commenter reminded him in 2014.
“Don’t care if everybody thinks iam not allowed. To have them or not f**k the government. A**holes,” Jones responded.
Jones was being held without bond on the felony charge as of Wednesday, The Journal reported.