Retired NYPD Sergeant Is Arrested for an 'Off With His Head' Facebook Comment Aimed at a Florida Commissioner Who Voted for a Mosque Expansion

Florida authorities have arrested a retired New York police sergeant over a Facebook comment they say called for a county commissioner to be beheaded, Fox News reports.

The arrest. The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office says Rodolfo Mienert, 68, of St. Petersburg, was arrested Monday. Per an affidavit Fox obtained, he commented on a Facebook post criticizing Commissioner Brian Scott for supporting a land-use change that would let a North Pinellas mosque expand. The comment called Scott a "Republican turncoat" and said, "off with his head!" It was posted under the name "Rudy MineAllmine."

How he was found. Detectives traced the account's IP address to Mienert, who confirmed it was his. Fox says the account's last post reposted a Scott campaign video with the message: "DO NOT vote for this person, he voted FOR a mosque."

His account. Mienert told detectives he is "very vocal and not afraid to share his opinion" and called Scott a "turncoat" over the vote. He said he attended the Oct. 27 commission meeting, where, Fox says, he argued the larger mosque would hurt the environment and worsen traffic.

The charge. He faces one felony count of a written or electronic threat to kill, which carries up to 15 years in prison in Florida. Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said: "Threatening to cut off the head of a county commissioner because of his vote on a land issue is intolerable and we will strictly enforce the law against anyone who makes threats of this nature."

His background. Fox says Mienert retired as a sergeant after 22 years with the NYPD. Records Fox reviewed showed him in the Pinellas County Jail, with a court appearance set for Tuesday afternoon.

What we could not check. Mienert is accused, not convicted. Fox's piece does not report the outcome of Tuesday's hearing or any response from him or a lawyer. We read the story and the quoted affidavit, not the affidavit itself.