Police officers of the Coeur d'Alene Police Department in Idaho have reported receiving repeated death threats since they arrested 31 members of the white supremacist group Patriot Front on Saturday. The men were headed to an LGBTQ Pride event with riot gear.
Coeur d'Alene Police Chief Lee White told reporters at a news conference covered by NBC News on Monday that some half the 149 calls his department received following the arrests have been congratulatory.
"And the other 50%—who are completely anonymous, who want nothing more than to scream and yell at us and use some really choice words—offer death threats against myself and other members of the police department merely for doing our jobs," White said. "Those people obviously remain anonymous."
RELATED STORY: 31 members of Patriot Front nationalist group arrested, found headed to Pride event with riot gear
Watch the news conference White and Mayor Jim Hammond held Monday:
Officers have also gotten threats of publishing their phone numbers and addresses online, an act known as doxxing, the chief said, noting most of the threats came from outside of the community.
White said in light of the threats he would withhold the name of the person who called the police to report seeing the white nationalists, who at the time the caller just described as a "little army" with masks and shields in a U-Haul.
"Since myself and other members of my agency have been receiving threats, including death threats, I think it appropriate to withhold that person's information," White said.
When police stopped the suspects they wore masks, had packed shin guards, shields, and helmets, and loaded into a U-Haul truck. “They even had an operations plan to detail their actions once they arrived at the Pride event,” White told The Washington Post on Sunday. Authorities found on the scene at least one smoke grenade and metal poles similar to those used by insurrectionists on Jan. 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol.
Those arrested in the recent incident have been identified by the sheriff’s office as:
Jared Michael Boyce, of Springville, Utah; Nathan David Brenner, of Lewisville, Colorado; Colton Michael Brown, of Rovendale, Washington; Josiah Daniel Buster, of Watauga, Texas; Mishael Joshua Buster, of Spokane, Washington; Devin Wayne Center, of Fayetteville, Arkansas; Dylan Carter Corio, of Cheyenne, Wyoning; Winston North Durham, of Genesee, Idaho; Joseph Garret Garland, of Freeburg, Ilinois; Branden Mitchel Haney, of Kaysville, Utah; Richard Jacob Jessop, of Idaho Falls, Idaho; James Michael Johnson, of Concrete, Washington; James Julius Johnson, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Connor Patrick Moran, of Watauga, Texas; Kieran Padraig Morris, of Haslet, Texas; Lawrence Alexander Norman, of Prospect, Oregon; Justin Michael Oleary, of Des Moines, Washington; Cameron Kathan Pruitt, of Midway, Utah; Forrest Clark Rankin, of Wheat Ridge, Colorado; Thomas Rousseau, of Grapevine, Texas; Conor James Ryan, of Thornton, Colorado; Spencer Thomas Simpson, of Ellensburg, Washington; Alexander Nicholai Sisenstein, of Midvale, Utah; Derek Joseph Smith, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Dakota Ray Tabler, of West Valley City, Utah; Steven Derrick Tucker, of Haslet, Texas; Wesley Evan Van Horn, of Lexington, Alabama; Mitchell Wagner, of Florissant, Missouri; Nathaniel Taylor Whitfield, of Elk Ridge, Utah; Graham Jones Whitsom, of Haslet, Texas; and Robert Benjamin Whitted, of Conroe, Texas.
Mishah and Josiah Buster are sons of an associate of Christian nationalist Matt Shea, which serves as further evidence of what journalists and social media users alike have emphasized about this incident: It is not the exception, but in many ways, it is the rule of what happens when white supremacists are defended by the country’s top leaders.
RELATED STORY: Patriot Front discovers Coeur d’Alene not the best place to bring fascist violence to Pride events
A Twitter account dubbed Facist Parler Watch shared a thread claiming many white North Idahoans have been quick to indicate the recent arrests are not indicative of the community, “but for those who are part of marginalized & minority groups, they have a different experience entirely.”
“Anti-fascist activists, researchers & residents in the INW have been sounding the alarm about the resurgence of RW extremist…
…violence in the region and the alarming rate at which these extremists are gaining power. Black, brown, indigenous and queer people are right now living in a place that is hostile to their existence. Every day for them is a day where they have to be careful what they say to…
…the people around them because they don’t know who is safe and who isn’t. This isn’t hyperbolic. I know this from the stories of people who actually live there. They have been asking for help in combating the fascists politicians, police, policies and groups & no one listens.”
We talk to gun control advocate and executive director of Guns Down America, Igor Volsky on Daily Kos' The Brief podcast