Butler County sheriff: I received a threat after writing to former presidents asking for help with shutdown

Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones said he received a threat the day after he sent a pair of letters asking two former U.S. presidents to help end the government shutdown and restore civility to a politically divided nation.

Jones reported the threat publicly while broadcasting a Facebook Live video this afternoon. He did not go into detail about the threat, but said, “You really shouldn’t threaten the police.”

INITIAL REPORT: Butler County sheriff asks former presidents Bush, Obama to help re-open government

“I want you to be aware of that I don’t take threats very kindly and if you think I am scared, or it scares me, or intimidates me, you’re badly mistaken,” he said. “It does not.”

Jones said the threat is under investigation and his office will “track it back as far as we can.”

Jones also said receiving threats is “part of the job” and that “making threats on my life” won’t stop him from speaking out.

Jones on Tuesday sent former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama letters to help “get things moving in our country.”

“I think both sides are in a divide and until they come back to the table and start doing some negotiations, these two people can get that done if they’re willing to come out of retirement,” Jones told the Journal-News.

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