A 25-year-old North Carolina man is behind bars after allegedly threatening to kill law enforcement officers once he is released from jail, officials said. The arrest comes amid heightened concerns nationwide over threats against police and rising tensions between the public and law enforcement.
According to court warrants unsealed this week, Ryan Lewis of Onslow County was taken into custody Monday by the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office on charges of communicating threats and resisting a public officer.
Authorities allege that in December, Lewis threatened another individual, saying he planned to “grab an AK-47” and shoot them. When deputies later attempted to transport him to jail, he resisted, repeatedly banging his head into the partition of the patrol car, court documents show.
In addition to threatening the civilian, the warrants allege Lewis threatened the deputies directly, telling them, “When I get out of jail, I’m going to kill you.”
Lewis faces two counts of communicating threats and a count of resisting a public officer. He is being held without bond pending further proceedings.
Threats against law enforcement officers have become an increasing focus for prosecutors and police departments across the country, prompting discussions about officer safety, mental health intervention, and criminal justice responses. Federal agencies, including the FBI, track such threats under statutes related to intimidation, violence against government officials, and domestic terrorism. (General context—national law enforcement trend; see FBI reporting on threats against officers.)
Local officials have not disclosed whether Lewis has legal representation or entered a plea in court. A preliminary hearing date has not been publicly announced.
