Officials say man arrested in Denver wasn’t a ‘credible threat’ to Obama

From the Canadian Source:

U.S. authorities are investigating whether a man arrested in the Denver area with rifles, ammunition and drugs in his truck has made statements threatening Barack Obama.

However, they are downplaying the danger to Obama, who is slated to receive the Democratic party’s nomination for president at a convention in Denver later this week. U.S. Attorney Troy Eid says authorities are “absolutely confident” there was no credible threat to the candidate.

FBI spokeswoman Kathy Wright confirms the FBI is investigating reports the man had threatened Obama.

One of the arrested men, Nathan Johnson, told KCNC-TV, the CBS affiliate in Denver, that others involved in the case had made racist statements regarding Obama and had discussed killing him on the day of his nomination acceptance speech.

When asked if he felt there was a plot to kill Obama, Johnson replied: “Looking back at it, I don’t want to say yes, but I don’t want to say no.”

Johnson was interviewed while being held in jail on drug charges. He said he wasn’t involved in any plot.

The action started around 1:30 a.m. Sunday when police in Denver’s eastern suburb of Aurora stopped a truck that was swerving erratically.

The driver, 28-year-old Tharin Gartrell, had a suspended driver’s licence, and the truck was rented in the name of another person, said Aurora police Det. Marcus Dudley.

In the truck, officers found two rifles, including one with a scope; a bulletproof vest; boxes of ammunition; walkie-talkies; and suspected narcotics, Dudley said.

Aurora police, on edge because of heightened security surrounding the Democratic convention in Denver, alerted federal authorities.

Three hours later, at 4:30 a.m. Sunday, federal agents arrested Johnson, 32, at a hotel in Denver. He was being held on drug charges, Dudley said.