Arrest Made at Tucson Town Hall Over Death Threat

One week to the day after the horrific shooting spree that killed 6 people, including a 9 year-old girl and left a moderate congresswoman fighting for her life and wounding 14 others, a man attending an ABC-TV town hall meeting was arrested for issuing a death threat before the audience.

ABC News Anchor Christiane Amanpour was hosting the event, being taped for later viewing featuring victims, heroes, witnesses and first responders that were present at last Saturday’s “Congress on the Corner” event in the Safeway parking lot. The event was billed as “devoted to a recounting of what had happened that terrible morning” and carried the theme of “An American Conversation Continued.” Also in attendance were several dignitaries who were not present that day and locals.

The discussion, an effort to continue the discussion congresswoman Gifford’s was trying to have last weekend, eventually turned to politics, gun control specifically.

Suggesting a discussion on gun control should be put off until after the funerals, a Tucson Tea Party founder drew the response from one attendee of “You’re dead.” Earlier, that same Tea Party founder, Trent Humphries was warned by Police to stay away from public places as numerous death threats were made towards him and his family.

State Rep. Terri Proud (R-Tucson) tried to explain current and proposed gun legislation in the state legislature, that drew her boos and groans and according to witnesses sitting around the one who had already threatened Tea Party founder Trent Humphries, infuriated and agitated the man more.

The man was taken into custody as the event was wrapping up by Deputies and as he was being escorted from the room, was heard yelling out “You're all whores!” He has been charged one count of threats and intimidation, with one count of disorderly conduct pending.

Just a few days earlier, shooting victim J. Eric Fuller, a liberal Democrat who was wounded in the knee made news as he spoke to the progressive syndicated Democracy Now! And placed blame for the shooting on Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin and other conservatives. Included in his interview was the claim House Speaker John Boehner, “subscribes to lunatic fringe anarchism.”

Today, it was J. Eric Fuller who was placed under arrest for issuing the death threat and acting out as the “lunatic fringe” and “involuntarily committed for a psychiatric evaluation.”

Shooting rampage victim arrested at ABC-TV town hall meeting

At question now, was Fuller, a well known political activist for the left in Tucson, enticed and provoked into issuing a death threat due to the extreme partisan rhetoric emanating from leftist pundits all week?

Or, did he already possess such hatred and intolerance of those who think differently than he did and receiving a wound to his knee drive him over the edge?

I don’t expect to hear much about this in national news, but would the conversation be that Democrats, left-wing pundits and partisan rhetoric caused him to go berserk had he stood up and shot either Humphries or State Rep. Terri Proud?

Thankfully, we don’t have to have that conversation, thanks to Pima County Deputies.

I hope Fuller receives the mental health care he needs now before he goes off like Jared Loughner did last week and we do have to have such a conversation.

Maybe it is time the left took their own advice and actually toned down their own vitriolic rancor before others are hurt.