St. Patrick’s Day Plot Foiled Just in Time

(UnitedVoice.com) – In the years since 9/11, the possibility of another terrorist attack on that scale has lingered in the back of many Americans’ minds. Law enforcement agencies around the country and within the federal government are constantly rooting out possible threats. Recently, a St. Patrick’s Day plot against police officers was foiled just in time.

According to a March 17 press release, the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) announced the arrest of a Yonkers man for threatening police officers. Ridon Kola, 32, allegedly stated he supported the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist group and said he wanted to kill multiple police officers in posts online.

The criminal complaint alleges that in November 2021, Kola posted a message to a Yonkers Police Department’s social media account that said, “I am going to slaughter you little girls.” In a December 2021 post, authorities accuse him of posting a message on the department account that said he wanted to kill the mayor of Yonkers and said he intended to start murdering officers the next day.

Yonkers detectives paid Kola a visit at his home after those threats, but he said he didn’t actually intend to kill anyone. They issued him a warning and moved on.

Authorities allege Kola didn’t stop making threats, though. He started again in 2023 and continued for months. Those posts included his declarations of support for the terrorist organization. In one of the messages, he is accused of saying he was going to “crucify Yonkers cops” and their supervisors on McLean Avenue, which is part of the St. Patrick’s Day parade route.

U.S. Attorney announces arrest of Yonkers man for threatening to kill Yonkers police officershttps://t.co/Bb6l7ngPfF pic.twitter.com/ANeuFT1vLA

— US Attorney SDNY (@SDNYnews) March 17, 2023

NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell issued a statement saying the NYPD is committed to “fight against the grave threat of violence and hate in every form.” He said Kola’s arrest is proof the department is working to keep the community safe.

Kola is facing five years in prison if convicted for making threatening interstate communications.