DENVER – Greenwood Village police have stepped up patrols at the Tri-County Health Department’s Greenwood Village location after a man emailed the receptionist there Tuesday claiming the department was trying to start a “civil war” and threatening consequences if it did not end its restrictions.
The receptionist told a fellow employee about the email, who then called police to file a report. The email was sent just after 4 p.m. Tuesday – after Tri-County had announced that Adams County and Arapahoe County, where Greenwood Village is located, would move to the “safer at home” phase starting Saturday and allow businesses to gradually begin reopening.
According to police, the email read: “I know you’re the receptionist and not responsible for these edicts… but tell the 9 petty tyrants who want to keep locking most of Colorado down to F--- OFF.”
It went on to say that officials should “END. THE LOCKDOWN. NOW. Or face severe consequences.”
“’We the people’ are DONE with this f---ing bulls---,” the email said, “and you’re about to start a hot-shooting no bulls--- civil war.”
Police said the report was filed to be documented for policy purposes only and that the department has increased their patrols at the building in response.
In a statement issued Wednesday afternoon, the Tri-County Health Department called the language “intimidating” but said police found that the comments were not criminal.
“In an abundance of caution, due to the sentiment expressed and the harsh language used, this email was reported to the Greenwood Village Police Department,” the department said. “In their judgment, the content of the email was not criminal in nature, and while it is unfortunate that the language used was intimidating, TCHD supports the rights of citizens to redress their grievances with their government and acknowledges that this is a very trying time for everyone.”
Gov. Jared Polis was asked about the threat at a news conference Wednesday afternoon and made a comparison to the state and local public health agencies being able to shut down restaurants if they have bad health inspections to be sure restaurants do business in as safe a way as possible.
“But when you’re talking about … threatening a civil war over decals on the floor of the store that tell you where to stand in the takeout line, [it] is really offensive to anybody who supports the freedom and liberty that we enjoy in this country,” Polis said.
He said the measures under the safer at home phase, which all counties will enter starting Saturday if they haven’t already, were common-sense measures.
“For the few Coloradans who feel that their liberties are being threatened, I ask them to also exercise their own personal responsibility to protect themselves, their families and others,” Polis added.
