A former soldier has been arrested in California after he threatened to kill troopers and legislation enforcement officers at Fort Irwin, situated in San Bernardino County, based on federal authorities.
“Christian Ernest Beyer, 41, of Petaluma, has been charged with interstate threats, against the law that carries a statutory most sentence of 5 years in federal jail,” a Justice Division press launch introduced Thursday.
Though Beyer seems to have a historical past of violent habits going again a number of years, it was a collection of YouTube movies, posted on Oct. 30 wherein the previous soldier threatened the commanding basic of the bottom, the chief of police for the submit, and a senior enlisted soldier, that resulted in federal expenses.
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In response to information supplied to Navy.com by the Army, Beyer joined the service in August 2000 and served as an armor crewman for practically 23 years, leaving in March 2023 as a sergeant top notch. In that point, he deployed to Iraq 3 times, together with in the course of the opening days of Operation Iraqi Freedom in April 2003. He additionally deployed to Kuwait twice.
The Army provided no different particulars about his service, together with awards or the character of his discharge, however service court docket information present he confronted court-martial in 2022 that, amongst different punishments, demoted him to sergeant top notch from grasp sergeant.
The federal indictment says that in April 2021 Beyer was arrested by Army officers for assaulting his spouse at Fort Irwin. His Fb profile, which can also be cited by prosecutors, has posts of police information from different incidents involving his habits in late 2021 that alleged he was closely intoxicated and belligerent.
Within the movies Beyer made Monday, he threatens to shoot his means onto Fort Irwin and kill particular individuals until they resign their positions.
“You might have like two days or I am coming myself, and you recognize I can f—ing get there,” Beyer mentioned in a video. “I’ll come there with weapons.”
The indictment mentioned Army officers have been conscious that Beyer knew “methods to entry the Fort Irwin set up by means of unofficial trails and/or means and … methods to circumvent official entry/entry factors.”
Navy.com reached out to a lawyer listed in court docket information as representing Beyer however didn’t hear again in time for publication.
“I am calling out the folks that compelled me out,” Beyer says in a video cited within the indictment earlier than naming 4 particular troopers. “Go forward and f—ing cling it up otherwise you’re harboring these police such as you’ve already carried out earlier than and I’ll f—ing come and hunt you,” he provides.
Beyer’s account remains to be energetic on the time of publication, and there are 11 movies — together with one of many two cited within the indictment. Navy.com was capable of assessment each earlier than one was eliminated.
Nevertheless, most of Beyer’s threats and vitriol have been directed on the base law enforcement officials and, particularly, the chief of police.
“Go kill them. All of them. It is effective. Don’t fret about it. And if one in all you desires to do it, go for it, dude. Die a f—ing hero,” Beyer mentioned, referring to the law enforcement officials at Fort Irwin.
The court docket paperwork and Beyer’s personal Fb posts recommend that he was a soldier who spent his final years within the army battling alcohol and changing into more and more violent.
The indictment cites a July 2021 memo, written by Brig. Gen. Curtis Taylor — Fort Irwin’s commander who nonetheless holds the submit at present — that described the circumstances round Beyer’s arrest within the spring of 2021.
“I’m deeply involved relating to your actions on 26 April 2021. On that date, you pushed your spouse, barricaded your self inside your residence with an unregistered firearm, and disobeyed lawful orders,” Taylor wrote, based on the federal indictment.
“Moreover, you confirmed an absence of respect and decorum to army police upon your apprehension once you spit chewing tobacco on the ground of the patrol automobile and urinated within the police interview room,” Taylor added.
Considered one of Beyer’s movies referenced Taylor amid his different threats.
Army court docket information present that Beyer — then a grasp sergeant — was discovered responsible of 4 violations of the Uniform Code of Navy Justice, together with assault with the intent to inflict bodily hurt and home assault, in August 2022.
“The army choose sentenced the accused to be confined for 45 days, forfeiture of $250 per 30 days for 4 months, and discount to E-7,” the information say.
Federal prosecutors additionally famous within the indictment that he used his Fb profile to make threats towards the California Freeway Patrol.
Beyer was arrested Oct. 28 in Mendocino County on expenses of disorderly conduct whereas underneath the affect however launched the subsequent day. Then, the next day — the identical day that Beyer made the threatening YouTube movies — he “was concerned in an altercation with a bunch of aged people after [he] left his automobile in a neighborhood the place he didn’t stay.”
The previous soldier brandished a knife earlier than getting in his car and driving on the group. Police later caught up with him, however he fled on foot, the indictment says.
Courtroom information aren’t clear as to when he was arrested on federal expenses, however they do notice that he appeared earlier than a choose on Thursday and was jailed.
— Konstantin Toropin might be reached at konstantin.toropin@army.com. Comply with him on X at @ktoropin.
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