http://kvoa.com/Global/story.asp?S=5165192&nav=HMO6HMaW

Man arrested in Canada for allegedly threatening sheriff in Arizona

July 18, 2006, 10:09 AM

A man was arrested in Canada on suspicion of threatening the sheriff of Arizona's most populous county and his family, authorities said.


Canadian authorities took Matthew Carl Sanderson, 37, into custody Friday although he since has been released.

A spokeswoman for Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said detectives were going to sift through Sanderson's computer and other evidence obtained in a search of his Toronto home to determine his motive, what charges to bring and whether he should be extradited to Arizona or prosecuted in Canada.

The threat came in an e-mail June 2 through the sheriff's Web site, said spokeswoman Lisa Allen.

The e-mail reportedly said Arpaio and his family were targeted for death because of his "flagrant disregard for basic human rights and flippant attitude towards the life of another American."

Arpaio has made national headlines in past years for having female chain gangs and forcing jail inmates to wear pink underwear.

Recently, he has come under fire from immigrant-rights activists who call him heartless for arresting illegal immigrants under Arizona's new smuggling law.