PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — A Loxahatchee man has been arrested for allegedly making threats to kill President Donald Trump.
In his arrest report, Palm Beach County deputies accuse him of calling 911 nine times, saying, "He wants to go to the White House to assassinate the President," as well as making several other threats.
WATCH: Loxahatchee man made nine 911 calls
Deputies say they realized the suspect has an extensive history of mental illness, but “it does not diminish the threats or the potential threats that are made,” said Stuart Kaplan, a former FBI special agent.
Kaplan says while mental health does not play a factor in law enforcement’s response to a situation, it can be influential in treatment following an arrest.
“The law says we should not necessarily hold someone criminally responsible… there are other avenues," he said. "Those avenues can include mental health court... or in some instances, having the case thrown out."
But Kaplan says no matter what, the Secret Service is in the loop.
"With an individual like this… it's an immediate report to the Secret Service," he said.
A situation common for agents, who are notified regarding threats against the president. The issue dates to even before Trump took office.
Last September, the then-nominee was the target of an assassination attempt at his West Palm Beach golf course. Then, law enforcement says this year several people have tried to jump the wall at Mar-a-Lago, and there have also been threats made over social media.
“These threats come in each and every day,” Kaplan pointed out.
The consistent threats are why Kaplan stresses for people to report anything they find suspicious.
“Maybe it's something, maybe it's nothing, but I always say it's better to report it than not," Kaplan said.
But also because of the staffing levels within the Secret Service, Kaplan says, “there's limited manpower, there's a limited amount of funding and resources to be able to manage all these threats,” which leads to concerns “about the person that slips through the crack who may carry out, for example, an assassination.”
The suspect is still currently in the county jail, where he is being held on a $35,000 bond.
