This qualifies as “use of social media that has consequences…” Karma is tough…
A Black Lives Matter supporter had so much racial hatred towards white officers that he began encouraging fellow black men to murder police and even announced that it’s time to break into their houses and kill their loved ones just one day after 5 Dallas officers were killed by a sniper. However, he never expected that just hours later he’d receive an instant dose of much-needed karma.
Byron L. Cowan of Racine, Wisconsin was fed up with what he perceived as a racist pandemic sweeping the nation. Instead of taking Martin Luther King Jr.’s route and judging by the content of character, the 43-year-old man believed the best option was to “be first to shoot first.” Fortunately, he didn’t have time to carry out his violent call to action. Because of the general public, local officers and their innocent families may have been saved.
The Gateway Pundit reports that Cowan posted a public rant to Facebook, inciting hate crimes against law enforcement and telling “every black man in America” to find a white cop and kill them, their spouses, and children. Of course, his first mistake was making his plans known to virtually everyone.
“Be first to shoot first,” Cowan posted to Facebook before his account was deleted. “I encourage every Black man in America to strap up. It is clear. I encourage every white officer to kiss there love ones goodbye. Every time you leave the house. Tell them you love them; because you may not make it home. Also if you do make it home. You may find there dead bodies sprawled all over the house. This is war were tired. I don’t care who I offend I don’t have any more words but bullets. It’s time to start going into there homes and killing there familes. Not f***ing playing or smiling.”
Within hours, concerned social media users and law enforcement agencies across the country had reported his post and profile both to Facebook and local authorities, and Cowan’s racist rant backfired. Instead of Cowan breaking into officers’ homes, he was the one receiving an unexpected visit. Racine Police arrested Cowan and charged him with making threats to cause harm to the police and making terroristic threats, both of which are felonies.
The Journal Times reports that just after Cowan was calling for an invasion of white officers’ homes, he was located and detained at his own home without incident. As confident as Cowan was behind a computer screen, it appears as though he doesn’t have the same guts when it comes to putting his word into deed.
Now that Cowan is exactly where he belongs, the Racine Police Department is thanking fed up citizens for caring enough about the safety of officers and their families to report potential risks to their safety.
“While threatened with the use deadly force against the law enforcement community at-large within hours of the assassination of five officers in Dallas, local officers and investigators demonstrated a high degree of professionalism and great restraint in peacefully taking the subject of these threats into custody without incident,” said Racine Police Chief Art Howell. “I would like to personally thank each and every one who supported our department in providing the critical and timely information that enabled our members to bring this matter to a peaceful resolution.”
Cowan currently resides in Racine County Jail where he can get to know the men and women he put in danger simply for the sake of their skin color. Hopefully, this arranged meeting with those he hates the most will teach him that even though there will always be a few bad people in every group, race, and profession, putting on a badge doesn’t magically turn someone into a racist or killer.
I still believe there are more good people out there as opposed to some with hate in their hearts. Do you?
Photo Credit [Gateway Pundit, Myspace, MadWorldNews]