Man accused of threatening governor said he just wanted to ask her out to dinner

EVERETT, Wash. — A 28-year-old Everett man who police said made threats against Gov. Christine Gregoire told detectives he just wanted to ask her out to dinner.

A Snohomish County police document said that on May 20, a message was submitted through a contact form on the governor’s web site with the subject, “Weapons.”

Police said the message, which included the required fields of name, address, and email address, said, "I'm pissed, I think you know why, too. Why don't you end it before I come down there with my gear to end it for you?"

On May 22, Washington State Patrol detectives visited the man at an apartment in Everett where he lived with his father.

A detective explained to the man why he was there and the man confirmed he sent the message, the police report said.  The man told officers he just wanted to ask the governor out to dinner to discuss issues, documents said.

The man explained that the FBI had been monitoring him since 2006 and he wanted someone to make them stop, but had no intention of hurting anyone.

He told detectives the FBI was monitoring his computer activity and modified news headlines and other documents to influence him, a police report said.

When asked if he had any guns, the man’s father said he had two handguns in a safe in his son’s room and his son had the key to the safe.

A weapons check showed that the father was the registered owner of the guns.

Police said that on Thursday, the man sent several more messages through Gregoire’s website.  The content of the messages included, “"I'm going to kill the governor for real” and, "I'm seriously going to blow that (expletive) away. What am I waiting for? I don't know. Good point,” police documents said.

On Friday, police executed a search warrant at the man’s home to collect all firearms and computers and other devices that could connect to the Internet.

The police report said the man was found in his bedroom with a loaded .38 caliber revolver lying on the floor next to the bed and a .22-caliber revolver inside a closet wall safe that had the key in the lock.

A laptop computer was on the table, police said.

The man was arrested for investigation of threats to the governor and unlawful possession of a firearm.

The police report said detectives believe the man is delusional and has a history of heroin use.

The man’s father told officers his son may be suicidal, the report said.

KIRO