Baltimore Blogger Who Tweeted During Police Standoff Has Bail Review; New Charges Filed
BALTIMORE (WJZ)—A man who gained national attention after broadcasting his standoff with police online faces new charges. For the first time, he's speaking about the case.
Mike Hellgren talked to him shortly before a court appearance Wednesday morning.
"I'm not afraid of you as a human being and I'm not afraid of any of your men out there," James MacArthur said during the standoff.
The home where James MacArthur broadcast his standoff with police is now boarded up as he fights for his freedom.
Before a contentious bail review, the local blogger and journalist said that police have a vendetta against him and he would never harm a soul. He was surprised to hear that his Baltimore Spectator website was still up and running and proud of the worldwide attention his standoff received; it was heard by thousands.
The standoff began Saturday as police served a warrant related to a gun charge. They said MacArthur made threats online but he told WJZ he was only joking.
Adding to his problems, police say they found a shotgun and ammo in his home and filed new charges against him. MacArthur claims he never had a weapon.
While his house sits in shambles, he sits in jail. The judge did not buy his story and she said she believed he was a danger to the public, citing what she called his violent nature and criminal backgrounds in California and Maryland.
MacArthur says State Delegate Jill Carter is representing him in the case. She didn't show up in court.
He said he feels like a caged beast in chains.
"I'm just a homeowner in this neighborhood, a citizen of Baltimore who just wanted to do his part to make this place better and somehow, some way, just guys keep messing with me and this is the life I live now," MacArthur said.
In court Wednesday, a public defender represented MacArthur and argued a $100,000 bail would be sufficient. She argued he's so vocal that if he was granted release, he wouldn't be hard to track down.
