It is important to be very careful about what is said, especially now in the world of social media. The anonymity that allows people to criticize, denounce, slander, and even threaten others encourages some to vent against those with whom they have no affinity.
That is exactly what an Illinois man named Aaron P. Brown did, when he lost perspective and launched a series of insults against the Kansas City quarterback and tight end Travis Kelce, threatening to kill them while they were attending the 2024 concert at Arrowhead Stadium by country singer Morgan Wallen.
However, the situation had consequences because the players filed a complaint last January, and now this individual and his attorney are seeking to have the case dismissed since, in their view, the threats were never serious against the players.
What Aaron P. Brown and his lawyer argue to dismiss the case
A death threat must be taken seriously by the authorities, whether or not the person targeted is a public figure. And that is precisely what officials did in the case against Aaron P. Brown.
Yet for him and his attorney, the situation was part of a satirical context and the typical exchange that occurs between sports rivalries, and it was never something that should have been taken seriously.
While Mr. Mahomes and Mr. Kelce were present at the concert, their presence was not known to the public, nor is there any evidence suggesting that Defendant [Brown] had any knowledge of their presence.”…”Additionally, it is important to note that the social media account at issue had only ninety-two followers.
The motion read, as reported by Fox.
A different view from prosecutors
Despite the arguments presented by Brown’s lawyer, prosecutors see the matter very differently. For them, the post was frightening and alarming enough to justify a trial.
Once the individual in question made the threat against the Chiefs players, the concert’s start had to be delayed so police could locate him.
After he was found, he was charged with second-degree terrorist threat.
Even assuming Defendant’s communication was meant to serve as just ‘satire’ or a ‘joke’ in the context of some unspoken ‘sports rivalry,’ the State here is not laughing.
They and other officers of KCPD took the post so seriously that the entire concert was put on hold for the better part of an hour while law enforcement worked to identify and locate (Brown) within the crowd in order to take him into custody for further investigation.
It is worth recalling the tweet Brown posted against Mahomes and Kelce.
Mr. Wallen at Arrowhead with the wife. If he brings out Mahomes or Kelce, I’ll take the (freakin) shot. (Expletive) em. Also (expletive) you (expletive) @taylorswift13.
This action by the police makes it clear that such threats are taken seriously and that authorities will not allow anyone to act in this manner.
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