A North Carolina man is accused of threatening CMPD officers and ICE agents for immigration enforcement operations in Charlotte.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A North Carolina man accused of threatening to kill federal law enforcement officers over immigration enforcement and threatening to “do a whole lot better” than last year’s deadly police ambush in Charlotte appeared in court Monday.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police received a call at approximately noon on May 14 from a man identified as 27-year-old Johnathan Trent Thomas, of Linwood, North Carolina. During the call, Thomas allegedly threatened to kill ICE agents and CMPD officers if immigration enforcement in Charlotte didn’t stop. Linville is an unincorporated community in Davidson County that’s about 55 miles northeast of Charlotte, just off Interstate 85.
During a second call with CMPD, Thomas allegedly warned that he was coming to Charlotte with armor-piercing ammunition, night vision visors and body armor to kill law enforcement officers. Investigators say Thomas threatened to “shoot them all” if he saw any officers making arrests, referencing recent ICE activity along Albemarle Road in east Charlotte.
An affidavit alleges that Thomas stated that if an officer pointed a gun at him, he was going to open fire and would “Swiss cheese” the officers if they were making any arrests. Prosecutors allege that Thomas claimed to have Tannerite, an explosive used in pipe bombs, all around his house if police came to arrest him. He also referenced the April 29, 2024, police ambush in east Charlotte, allegedly warning that he “could do a whole lot better than that.”
Investigators say that Thomas has an extensive history of threatening law enforcement, including the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office and CMPD. He’s also been accused of following CMPD officers in marked patrol cars while they were on duty.
Homeland Security agents served a search warrant at Thomas’ home on Friday, seizing three rifles and a handgun. He is charged with threatening to assault or murder law enforcement officers. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison.
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