Left: Jose Angel Valadez (Maricopa County Sheriff”s Office). Right: President Donald Trump addresses the media in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House after an unspecified threat surfaced at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon).
An Arizona man has been accused of making death threats against a local sheriff and then bizarrely demanding immunity from President Donald Trump following the incident.
Jose Angel Valadez, 30, has been charged with threatening and intimidating and use of an electronic device to threaten, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office announced on Thursday.
According to reports from the sheriff’s office, Jose Angel Valadez allegedly issued “direct threats” on Wednesday to kill Sheriff Jerry Sheridan through posts on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Our Threat Management Unit swiftly located Valadez and apprehended him on the very same day,” deputies stated, emphasizing the quick response.
Authorities mentioned that amid his threatening remarks, Valadez sought “full presidential immunity,” although they offered no further details on the specific wording of his threats.
“The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office enforces the rule of law without exception and will not tolerate threats or violence against elected officials, delivering swift and decisive consequences to anyone who attempts to intimidate this agency or its personnel,” the law enforcement agency added.
Sheridan was elected sheriff of Maricopa County — Arizona’s largest, containing Phoenix — in 2024. His campaign bio said he “brings over four decades of deep-rooted law enforcement experience, institutional knowledge, and a servant’s heart to his leadership of one of the largest sheriff’s offices in the nation.”
The bio adds: “After securing a decisive victory in the 2024 general election, Sheridan was sworn into office with a clear mandate: restore stability, professionalism, and public trust while prioritizing public safety and employee support throughout Maricopa County.”