Is there a law in Connecticut for verbal threats?

[BOBCT]

What is the name of your state? Connecticut
Hi, My wife and I live in Connecticut. We live in a small Town and in a small tax district area of the town. We attended a meeting of the tax district on Oct 4,2006 to voice our concerns over how the tax monies was being spent. And no jobs for the district were going out to bid.
A resident who is also a person who is a Contractor to the district as Lake Manger. Got very upset with the qustions we were bring up. And in a public meeting went off on me saying he was sick of me, and all I ever do is come to the meetings and make problems ( I maybe have been to 8 meetings in the last 8 years). And went on to say he resigned as lake manger. And then he left the building. Then he came back inside and in a very load and upsetting tone yelled "hay you know back in my day the way I'd handle a guy like you, would be to throw you in a hole with a handgrenade"! Then he left the building got in his truck and drove off, and came back, and stood in the door way and left a few more times.
My wife has been very upset from that day on. She said she can't feel safe in our own home now. Is there a law in Connecticut for Verbal Threats? Do We have something to take to the police? Thanks for any info Bob

 

[danno6925]

Why wait so long?

IMO, he didn't directly threaten you, but merely said how things USED to be handled. If you're that upset, call the cops, tell t hem he threatened to put you in a hole with a handgrenade. They'll cite him for terroristic threats, or something along those lines...

I wondering why you waited a month before looking this up? Something's not right here. We're missing a part of this story somewhere. If you thought the guy was a direct threat, you would have called the cops that night.

 

[BOBCT]

I did try and call our resident trooper. She was out of town for the last 3 weeks. We sent out letters to the Town Manger, state rep, and selectbroad. We waited to see if the Lake District put what he said in the Minutes of the meeting. Which took 3 weeks to get a copy of, only to find out they left out a great deal of what was said. And all of what the Lake manger said. Nothing else is going on, just wanted to know if there was a law. And if he had broke it. Bob

 

[seniorjudge]

Doesn't sound like a threat to me; sounds like fond memories.

I am unclear why (if you felt this way) you did not call the cops.



(The following makes no sense: "...I did try and call our resident trooper. She was out of town for the last 3 weeks....")

 

[Ozark_Sophist]

A resident who is also a person who is a Contractor to the district as Lake Manger.

Good thing the resident was also a person. What if the resident were a canine? You might have ended up with bite marks.

Sounds like the contractor has an impulse control problem he is trying to control. Left, thought about it long enough to think of something else cute to say, came back, controlled his impulse at the door// repeat until the impulse go away.

 

[CdwJava]

If you truly believe that he is going to toss you in a hole with a handgrenade, then report to the police that you are afraid of him and see if this is a crime. However, your failure to call right away removes the element of fear and immediacy which are usually two requirements for a crime of criminal threats.

I don't see a crime here.

- Carl

 

[CdwJava]

Sec. 53a-62. Threatening in the second degree: Class A misdemeanor.

(a) A person is guilty of threatening in the second degree when: (1) By physical threat, such person intentionally places or attempts to place another person in fear of imminent serious physical injury, (2) such person threatens to commit any crime of violence with the intent to terrorize another person, or (3) such person threatens to commit such crime of violence in reckless disregard of the risk of causing such terror.

(b) Threatening in the second degree is a class A misdemeanor.

So, the person's intent would have to be established as would your impression - fear of imminent danger, or terror. The fact that you have delayed reporting this to the police for a month is evidence that you were not placed in fear of IMMINENT serious physical injury. Have you locked yourself in your home out of fear? Have you gone out and bought a big dog or a gun to protect yourself from this person? Have you told others how you believe this person will hunt you down and kill you with a grenade or other weapon?

Sorry. No crime here.

- Carl

 

[manowar27]

Doesn't this situation kind of compare to my post about the email threat situation? My email situation had no mention of bodily harm or physical damage. "don't do anything stupid my friend, or all hell could break loose" has no mention of harm. Even if this was reported immediately, where is the threat? After waiting more than an hour to report a threat, you must not have felt too threatened. Has anyone ever siad in anger.....I'll kick your ass? Isn't that a threat? Looks like to me that people are way too sensitive. Where do you live where the only state trooper is out of town for 3 weeks? Is his name Barney Fife? Where you honestly afraid he would throw you into a hole with a hand grenade? If he did, just toss it back out......

 

[BOBCT]

Sec. 53a-62. Threatening in the second degree: Class A misdemeanor.

(a) A person is guilty of threatening in the second degree when: (1) By physical threat, such person intentionally places or attempts to place another person in fear of imminent serious physical injury, (2) such person threatens to commit any crime of violence with the intent to terrorize another person, or (3) such person threatens to commit such crime of violence in reckless disregard of the risk of causing such terror.

(b) Threatening in the second degree is a class A misdemeanor.

So, the person's intent would have to be established as would your impression - fear of imminent danger, or terror. The fact that you have delayed reporting this to the police for a month is evidence that you were not placed in fear of IMMINENT serious physical injury. Have you locked yourself in your home out of fear? Have you gone out and bought a big dog or a gun to protect yourself from this person? Have you told others how you believe this person will hunt you down and kill you with a grenade or other weapon?

Sorry. No crime here.

- Carl

Hi Carl, first of all I did call our town manger and let him know what had happen. I did place a call to the police a day or two after it took place, only to find out the resident troop was away for 3 weeks. Our part time police are only allowed to do things like speeding , and running stop signs and stuff like that. Not sure why, some thing to do with the state Police. And as we and my of the residents who live in the Lake district have learned many times when you place a call to the state police they don't show up. In fact I do have a big dog, and a few guns. Its my wife that is all freaked out. At this point she wants to sell the house and move away.I'm not one for running away. We even contacted out state rep, she called us a few weeks ago and told us she forwarded this onto the resident trooper and asked her to take action on it. We did not wait a month as may of you think we did to try and get something done. We came hear just to see if we were getting the right answers. Bob

 

[CdwJava]

Okay ... so, DO you truly fear that this person is coming to kill you or do you great harm? If the answer is, "No" or "Not really", then there is no crime here.

- Carl