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Background: The Northern York County Regional Police Department in York, Pa. (Facebook). Inset: Christian Meiler (York County Sheriff”s Office).
A Pennsylvania resident is facing charges for making terroristic threats after allegedly telling a police officer that he deserved the same fate as fallen officers during his arrest.
Christian Meiler, aged 31, remains in custody at York County Jail without the option for bail following an arrest on Saturday. According to a criminal complaint accessed by Fox affiliate WPMT, officers from the Northern York County Regional Police Department responded to reports of a fire at Meiler’s residence. They discovered a shed in his backyard engulfed in flames. Although firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze, police reported that Meiler was “verbally aggressive and disrespectful” towards the officers who responded to the scene.
Authorities noted that Meiler appeared intoxicated, rendering him unable to provide “competent and continuous supervision” of the fire in his yard, which led to his arrest. During this process, Meiler allegedly referenced the names of three detectives who had recently been killed in service, expressing disdain towards the officers.
After being detained, Meiler reportedly told the arresting officer, “I hate every single one of you,” hoping the officer would “end up like Becker, Emenheiser, and Baker,” according to police statements.
On September 17, Detective Sergeant Cody Becker, aged 39, Detective Isaiah Emenheiser, aged 43, and Detective Mark Baker, aged 53, all part of the Northern York County Regional Police Department, were fatally shot by a suspect during an ambush as they served a warrant. The incident also left two other officers injured, while the suspect was neutralized by the police.
According to court documents, Meiler told the officer, “Your day is coming, buddy. You’re going to be just like them.” The arresting officer, B. C. Brandt, wrote that he was “shocked and silent” upon hearing the alleged threat, stating that he felt Meiler’s intent was “to instill fear and terror within me.”
Brandt wrote that Meiler allegedly attempted to undo his seat belt while in the police car and repeatedly kicked the back window in an attempt to break it open.
The next day, police were called to Meiler’s home again while he was still in custody. Meiler’s girlfriend called police to report a domestic abuse incident, allegedly at the hands of Meiler, that happened the night of the fire. Reporting on the court documents by local CBS affiliate WHP said that Meiler allegedly beat her before forcing her to the ground and covering her face with a pillow until she could not breathe. She told police he only stopped because he noticed the fire in the backyard had spread.
According to court documents, Meiler also invoked the fallen officers during that alleged attack, reportedly telling the woman, “You know what happened to the Northern Regionals the other week? That’s what’s going to happen to you.”
Police said she was too afraid to report the incident when first responders arrived at their home to extinguish the fire.
Meiler was charged for both alleged incidents separately. In connection with the fire and threats, he was charged with risking a catastrophe, terroristic threats, and several counts of prohibited burning. In connection with the domestic violence incident, he was charged with strangulation, unlawful restraint, terroristic threats, false imprisonment, simple assault, and a summary count of harassment.
Meiler is being held at the York County Jail without bond. He is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on Dec. 16.