Online threats against law enforcement surged after Trump search, says FBI - The Verge

The FBI and DHS are warning of a surge in online threats against law enforcement officials following the FBI’s search of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Florida.

Federal authorities are warning of a surge in online threats against law enforcement officials following the FBI’s search of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Florida last week.

On Friday, FBI and Department of Homeland Security authorities sent the alert through a joint intelligence bulletin shared with state, local, and tribal law enforcement officials across the country. In the bulletin, federal officials said that the threats are being made “primarily online and across multiple platforms, including social media sites, web forums, video sharing platforms, and image boards,” according to CBS News, and that they observed individuals identifying law enforcement targets and doxxing their sensitive information online.

The bulletin comes as Trump and his Republican allies have personally attacked the FBI for executing a search warrant on the former president’s Florida home last Monday. Trump himself has repeatedly targeted the FBI on his social media platform Truth Social, baselessly accusing officials of planting evidence or working with Democrats to “dirty up” Republican opponents.

The same joint alert specifically noted an incident that took place in Cincinnati, Ohio last week in which an individual named Ricky Shiffer Jr. attempted to break into an FBI Field Office with an AR-style rifle and nail gun just three days after the Mar-a-Lago search. Hours before the attack, which led to a standoff with the FBI, Shiffer reportedly used the Truth Social platform to post messages advocating for violence against law enforcement.

“When they come for you, kill them,” Shiffer appeared to say in a post that has now been removed. “Be an American, not a steer.”

https://www.theverge.com/2022/8/15/23306860/trump-mar-a-lago-search-raid-fbi-dhs-online-threats

---