AKRON, Ohio (AP) - The son of a Democratic candidate for Ohio lieutenant governor is accused of making posts online about killing police officers and has been taken into protective custody.
The Facebook group Ohio Going Blue posted screenshots Sunday of two posts purportedly made by 24-year-old Brian Newell. The posts read “I BET I KILL A COP TODAY” and “kill cops.”
Newell is the son of Akron councilwoman Tara Samples, who is the running mate of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dennis Kucinich.
The Kucinich-Samples campaign issued a statement Sunday saying that Newell made threatening posts after suffering an “emotional episode.” It says he has long-running mental health and addiction issues that have previously led to arrests and criminal charges. The statement says Samples is trying to get him hospitalized to receive treatment.
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