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Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood confronted a man from New Jersey who had threatened his life on the internet as he was extradited to Florida on March 27.
Richard Golden, 38, of Monmouth Junction was charged with making the alleged threat after Chitwood’s stand against a neo-Nazi hate group.
Chitwood had previously expressed his eagerness to greet Golden upon his arrival, stating that he would be “one of the first faces he’s going to see welcoming him to the Volusia County Jail, the happiest place on earth.”
As Golden arrived in Florida, Chitwood kept his word and welcomed him at the airport.
“I’m Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood. Anything you want?” Chitwood said to Golden. “Hope you enjoy your stay. Welcome to Florida!”
Chitwood noted the importance of confronting someone who allegedly made a threat against his life. “He walked right by me,” he said. “I mean, how gutless can you be?”
According to the sheriff’s office, Golden’s mother revealed that her son spends most of his time in his room on the internet and is unemployed. She added that he was hostile toward law enforcement and the government.
According to police sources, Golden made the threat on the online anonymous message board 4Chan.
“Just shoot Chitwood in the head and he stops being a problem. They have to find a new guy to be the problem,” Golden allegedly wrote. “But shooting Chitwood in the head solves an immediate problem permanently. Just shoot Chitwood in the head and murder him.”
In a press conference in early March, Chitwood said Golden shared characteristics with other active shooters, citing the shooter at a synagogue in Pittsburgh as an example.
“Like every other active shooter that we come across is a marginalized member of society who spends hours and hours and hours in these extremist chat rooms,” Chitwood said. “Here’s a clown sitting in his bedroom who is indoctrinated by this bullshit and thinks the best way to solve the problem is to put a bullet in my head.”
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