On Friday, Wichita police arrested a man for threatening to kidnap and kill the city’s mayor over his COVID-19 mask ordinance.
Police say 59-year-old Meredith Dowty, a retired firefighter could face a charge of criminal threat, after officials were “alerted to threatening statements directed toward city of Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple.”
Mayor Whipple, a Democrat said he had been read a series of text messages received by another city official that asked about his address and contained a detailed threat against his life, the Wichita Eagle reported.
“He said he was going to kidnap me and slash my throat and he needed my address because I needed to see the hangman — me and everyone who, something about tyranny,” Whipple said.
“It sounded like the person was very upset about pretty much mask mandates and he said something about not being able to see his mother because of COVID restrictions on elderly homes,” Whipple added.
According to the Wichita Eagle, Dowty is well-known local musician who performs under the name “Cathead” and has played numerous gigs in the city’s bar and nightclub scene. He was also honored by the city in 2008 for his role in saving the life of a Wichita police officer who was shot in the line of duty.
This arrest comes more than a week after it was reported that the FBI thwarted a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
