U.S. President Barack Obama speaks to guests during a campaign stop at the Nelson Pioneer Farm and Museum August 14, 2012 in Oskaloosa, Iowa. The stop was part of a scheduled three-day, nine-city campaign trip across Iowa. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
The Secret Service on Tuesday arrested a Washington state man accused of making an email threat against President Barack Obama and brandishing a shotgun at officers who came to his door.
Anton Caluori, 31, was arrested at an apartment in this south Seattle suburb for investigation of making threats against the president and assault on a federal officer, said Brian Leary, a Secret Service spokesman in Washington, D.C.
Caluori is scheduled to appear at 2 p.m. Wednesday in federal court, Leary said.
The threat was sent to a general purpose FBI email address, U.S. attorney’s spokeswoman Emily Langlie said.
The FBI then notified the Secret Service, Leary said. He refused to discuss the nature of the threat but Federal Way police spokeswoman Cathy Schrock said she understood it was a threat to kill the president.
A Secret Service agent and a Federal Way police officer went to an apartment in a four-plex at the Panther Ridge Apartments, knocked and announced themselves for about three minutes, then found themselves facing a man armed with a shotgun when the door opened, Schrock said.
“The shotgun was coming up to point in the direction of the agents,” she said. “The two officers were able to close in and take control of the weapon before anyone was harmed.”
The officers also seized a gun in the man’s ankle holster, she said.
Because the resident made statements about explosive devices in the apartment, the Federal Way bomb squad was called to evacuate the four-plex and sweep it for explosives, Schrock said. None was found.
“He has a good education, he’s a good boy, but he’s done a stupid thing,” a woman who identified herself as Caluori’s mother, Renee, told KOMO-TV (http://is.gd/lVwxyY) at the apartment scene.
“I don’t know a whole lot,” she told the television station. “How would you feel if your son got arrested? Never got arrested, was in the military, has a college education. And I’m just a little bit upset and shocked.”
Schrock said she understood Caluori’s mother lived in the apartment as well. The spokeswoman said the woman was allowed back into the apartment briefly to get some personal belongings. Her location was not known Tuesday night.
Federal agents began searching the unit after the all-clear Tuesday evening, Schrock said.
Federal Way police had no previous contact with the man, Schrock said.
Leary refused comment on any details of the man’s history.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
