WARNING: This story contains strong language
SPOKANE, Wash. -- A downtown Spokane business has extra security on hand Monday after a former employee was arrested for making a threat to shoot people.
The suspect, Chesed Johnson, was arrested for felony harassment Friday. He mad his first court appearance Monday and a judge set his bond at $30,000.
Spokane police said Johnson threatened to open fire on his former workplace, located in the Wells Fargo building, with an AR-15. Police reports show Johnson also made shooting threats at the employer's office in Dallas, TX.
According to court documents, police were alerted to the threat by the regional manager for Regus, an office space provider. The manager is based out of Salt Lake City.
The manager contacted police and told them Johnson left a threat on the customer service line and he believed the threat was credible, court documents said.
The manager told a police officer that Regus shut down operations at its downtown Spokane location for the day and sent employees home because the company feared for their safety, according to court documents. He said they would not reopen on Monday until they hired armed security, court documents showed.
Court documents said Johnson used to work for Regus but was fired after he harassed a female coworker. The female coworker got a protection order against Johnson, court documents said. Regus management told police they believed Johnson would have motive to hurt employees because of the incident.
Police received the recording of the message Johnson left on the customer service line.
According to court documents Johnson said, “Okay, yeah how about this, if you don’t give me a manager, I’m going to start shooting people. I’ve been nothing but harassed by your god damn manager on this f******* phone. I was an employee of your office. I filed a complaint against your company and continued to be harassed. I submitted a Google review, and your company is suppressing it. Get me a god damn manager, before I go into your f****** Spokane, Washington office and start killing your manager. I worked for Federal Prison Time Consultant at your Regus office. I used to work in your Spokane, Washington office. I was threatened to be kicked out of the office. I swear to god I will take my AR-15 and gun down your entire headquarters in Dallas, Texas. I’m glad this is recorded, I want police to know, I want the media to know, now get me a god damn manager.”
Court documents said police contacted Johnson at his home. Johnson admitted to making the phone call and he did make threats to shoot employees, according to court documents. He was then arrested.