So was it a simple misunderstanding or something more serious?
He's charged with making a death threat against Mayor Eldridge Hawkins, Jr.
"I'm very sorry for any problems this might have caused and I do apologize to anyone who I might have hurt or offended including my family, my friends and especially the residents of the City of Orange," said Billy Hathaway, accused terrorist.
His lawyers describe Billy Hathaway as a simple man who has fought bravely to overcome a learning disability.
What he is is a part time $14 per hour Orange City worker who was fired this week for saying something on YouTube about the mayor.
"If it wasn't for the law, I'd kill that black [expletive]. Shoot him right in the head. Right in front of his mother and father," Hathaway said.
Hathaway was charged with making terroristic threats against the mayor.
Mr. Hathaway's lawyers think that this is all just political theater. They are trying to burnish his credentials as a fearless cost cutter. They also have one important question, why didn't the police try to get a search warrant to search Mr. Hathaway's home? If they were so concerned about the mayor's safety, shouldn't they have found out if Mr. Hathaway had a gun?
"If they thought this was credible threat that would be something that they would have done, you know, take it more seriously, and it doesn't seem like they did," said James Sayegh, attorney.
The mayor said they didn't have to search his house, because, he said, the man he accuses of making a terroristic threat on his life, doesn't have a gun permit.
"He doesn't have any gun permits nor does he own any firearms," Mayor Hawkins said.
Of course, criminals often usually don't get permits for their murder weapons.
"At the end of the day, you can't run away from the fact that he said what he said on tape," Mayor Hawkins said.
"I have never and would never hurt anyone else for any reason. That is all I have to say at this time," Hathaway said.
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