Deputies Arrest Man for Threatening to Kill Arpaio
MCSO Deputies Arrest Man for Threatening to Kill Arpaio
Updated: Thursday, 04 Aug 2011, 5:18 PM MST
Published : Thursday, 04 Aug 2011, 12:46 PM MST
PHOENIX - Sheriff Arpaio has received thousands of death threats over the years, but his office says they went up when he began his controversial immigration sweeps.
While some threats are more serious than others, his office investigates them all, and in this latest case it lead to an arrest.
Maricopa County Sheriff's Deputies arrested a 36-year-old man on Thursday for repeatedly threatening to kill Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
Raul Rentiera Rivera made those threats to 911 emergency call center operators and separately to Phoenix police officers.
On July 27, Rivera called 911 twice, saying "My name is Raul and I'm going to kill your racist [expletive] Sheriff because he is a racist."
On July 31, he was arrested by Phoenix police for aggravated DUI and resisting arrest. During that time, he reiterated his threat to kill Joe Arpaio to Phoenix police officers.
"Sheriff Arpaio knows these threats are part of doing business. In the future we are going to elaborate on other threats and corruption emanating from foreign countries," said Lt. Justin Griffin, MCSO's Public Information Officer.
Rivera was booked into the 4th Avenue Jail.
Sheriff Joe says threats won't keep him from doing his job.
"Let him spend some time in jail eating the baloney and maybe we'll put him in 130 degree tents," Arpaio told us. "The day that I'm afraid to go out on the street, mingle with the crowds including the demonstrators, I do it all the time -- and I have to hide is the day I leave office."
In addition to the DUI and resisting arrest charges, he also faces two counts of threatening and intimidating the Sheriff. Threatening and intimidating are class one misdemeanors.
Chief Deputy Dave Trombi is in charge of investigating threats against the sheriff. He says they take them all seriously.
"If people truly knew how many threats came in - directly against the sheriff - they'd be shocked... For those that think this is some sort of publicity - I'd rather have my guys never have to do another threat investigation against the sheriff."
http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/news/cr ... o-08042011