A Michigan man has been charged with a misdemeanor after an Oakland County road inspector was threatened on social media. According to the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office, the charge is related to the malicious use of a telecommunications device, which could result in a six-month jail sentence and a fine of up to $1,000, as reported by CBS News Detroit. The man identified as Kenneth Michael Oliver, 38, of Lincoln Park, is accused of driving recklessly through a construction site and later issuing threats to the county worker.
On August 9, the incident began when the road inspector, stationed in a security truck, witnessed Oliver allegedly driving over construction cones and cutting off another driver after driving on the closed shoulder. She honked and turned on her lights to alert the construction workers, prompting Oliver to confront her. Officials say in their truck, the woman was pounded on by Oliver and received a citation for careless driving, information gathered from FOX 2 Detroit.
The allegations escalated on August 21, when a threatening message was sent to the Road Commission's social media account that he would find out where she lived and "beat her a** to death." "I got weapons," Oliver allegedly wrote, adding that he would shoot the inspector and her family. The Detroit News notes that the message concluded with an ominous affirmation of his access to weapons.
Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald charged Oliver last Wednesday with a telecommunications misdemeanor. "This was a public servant doing her job," McDonald said, commending the immediate response of the Road Commission staff by reporting the incident to law enforcement, as noted by The Detroit News.
