The Associated Press
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- A police officer who mouthed off while picking up his uniform at the cleaners has been indicted on a charge of threatening President Bush for allegedly saying he would shoot him and his father if someone gave him the bullets.
Joseph Mazagwu, 35, surrendered Friday on charges of threatening the president and lying to investigators. The rookie officer has been suspended from the force and faces firing.
If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison. He had no comment after his first court appearance and was released on $25,000 bail. The prosecutor said there was no evidence Mazagwu pursued the threat.
Defense attorney Deeann Athan said, “I really do think it was a huge misunderstanding.”
It all started July 15 when Mazagwu went to the cleaners a day before Bush visited Tampa. The owner asked if the officer was going to be part of the president’s security detail.
The 11-year U.S. Army veteran and Nigerian native answered that he wouldn’t work it under any circumstances and went on about the war in Iraq and U.S. policies in Africa.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert O’Neill alleged that Mazagwu said words to the effect: “The president needs to be shot. His father needs to be shot. If someone gave me bullets, I would do that. I would shoot them in the head.”
The cleaner reported the remarks to another Tampa officer on the day of Bush’s visit, police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said. The report was passed to a lieutenant, who asked for more details.
Mazagwu was suspended with pay July 19. During questioning by Secret Service agents, he denied making the comments but later apologized when he was confronted with additional information, O’Neill said.
Mazagwu, the son of a Nigerian police officer, graduated from the police academy this year and was assigned to a four-month training period.