Man arrested for terrorism after sending threatening email to ABC Nashville affiliate
Nathan Semans allegedly threatened "to blow someone's brains out."
A man has been arrested after allegedly sending a rambling email to one of ABC News' affiliate stations in Tennessee, threatening to go to the "state capital to blow someone's brains out."
ABC Nashville affiliate WKRN-TV received a threatening email on Wednesday, authorities said, allegedly from Nathan Semans, who also expressed his displeasure toward President Donald Trump.
“Look if you don’t run story I’m going to state capital to blow someone’s brain out," the email read. "I don’t look good at the moment cause the tyranny of what trump did, the nature of this call is secret. You think I’m kidding trump belongs in the dumpster from a cool kid.
"Knock it off I’m human. I’ll immediately leave this country on a double once my passport clears," the email continued. "I’m sick of this nonsense and bologna hanging around that trumps the perfect American, hallelujah against trump I recommend you forward to the table of the news room or I join ISIS to seek revenge.”
The news station flagged the email to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, and state troopers subsequently secured an arrest warrant to charge Semans with commission of act of terrorism, a felony.
The troopers served the warrant Seman's residence on Wednesday night and took him into custody without incident. He was being held at Humphreys County Jail on a $1 million bond as of Thursday, according to a press release from the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security.
Semans did not have an attorney yet, according to the county clerk. He was still being processed, and a court date had not been scheduled, according to the office.
Authorities searched the house after securing the premises, taking a cellphone and tablet for further analysis.
No weapons were found, authorities said.
“Thanks to an alert and forward thinking employee at News 2, we were able to investigate this threat and make our community and state safer,” Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security Commissioner Jeff Long said in a statement Thursday. “This is a textbook example of 'see something, say something.'”
The United States Secret Service will be following up with Semans, according to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security.
“When we work together for the common good of our community, we are all safer,” Tennessee Highway Patrol Col. Dereck Stewart said in a statement Thursday. “I am thankful that WKRN-TV contacted our department, for if we had not received this notification, then it is very possible that the narrative of this release could have been tragically worse.”