Former President Donald Trump's time in office ended more than a year ago, but in many ways, our country is still reeling from the white supremacy and prejudice he not only enabled but promoted. He made it okay to not only hate but to hate openly and freely, and he was so successful at spreading division and white entitlement that accused insurrectionists felt liberated to attempt to overthrow the results of a presidential election. Even before then, there were countless examples of white supremacists harassing, beating, and terrorizing people of color in the name of the president.
Yet another of those examples played out on Saturday in the Delmont borough of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, about 25 miles east of Pittsburgh. A Westmoreland County man wearing a clown wig took a .40 caliber handgun into a Dairy Queen, proclaiming to arriving police officers that he wanted to "kill Democrats and liberals" and protect himself from “drug traffickers,” CBS Pittsburgh reported.
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Investigators also found two more guns and 62 rounds of ammunition in his vehicle after securing a search warrant. Jan Stawovy, 61, told police he was working "undercover" to "restore Trump to president king of the United States," the news station reported.
Stawovy faces charges of making terroristic threats, carrying a gun without a license, disorderly conduct, and unlawfully possessing/ using firearms.
Several patrons were inside the Dairy Queen when Stawovy showed up, including those with intellectual disabilities who had just entered the restaurant, CBS Pittsburgh reported.
Police were first notified of Stawovy when a 911 caller reported a man driving erratically, and police were again notified that the man had pulled into the Dairy Queen, WTAJ reported.
Officer Gregory Stull was there in one minute, the Delmont Borough Police Department wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday.
“I am very fortunate to all of our officers for being professional and dedicated to our community and department,” Police Chief Timothy Klobucar wrote in the post.
Police later learned that Stawovy had been asked in what he called “love letters” to leave two church congregations, the New Stanton Assembly of God and Barren Run United Methodist Church, over outbursts and threats he is accused of making. In a social media post of his that CBS Pittsburgh referenced, he wrote, "civil war in 2024?"
Stawovy also claimed, according to an affidavit WTAJ obtained, that he "talked to God" and was a "prophet" motivated to “kill all the Democrats because Trump was still president.”
Donald Trump and his MAGA allies came close to overthrowing our democracy on January 6, and they will try again if they win in 2022. The best thing you can do is to help get out the Democratic vote for the midterms, and we need everyone to do what they can. Click here to find all the volunteer opportunities available.
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