DeSoto police arrest man for threatening mosque

DeSOTO, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) – DeSoto police have taken a man into custody for threatening members of a mosque.

Demarcus Brodie, 48, has been arrested and charged with issuing a terroristic threat against the DeSoto House of Peace & Community Center.

Brodie walked into the DeSoto House of Peace & Community Center on Feb. 14 around 9 p.m., threatening to chop off heads, kill families and kill people who were in the mosque, according to an arrest warrant.

The person who called police said they recognized Brodie. Another mosque member said they also recognized Brodie, but it was not made clear when or where he was seen previously. 

Part of the confrontation was recorded, in which Brodie could be heard saying that he was in the military police, even giving his badge number, according to the warrant.

Other DeSoto police officers said they have dealt with Brodie in various locations. One of those locations included Golden Chick, where Brodie was an employee. 

The Golden Chick manager gave police Brodie's address and said he told Brodie to turn himself in. While the manager was talking with police, Brodie called him, mumbling about things that didn't make sense, the warrant said.

When detectives initially went to the home address, Brodie's vehicle wasn't there, so they returned to the police department. 

During that time, detectives also found out that Brodie had previous charges for threatening government buildings and was also charged with slitting the throat of a waitress in North Carolina.

While detectives were returning to the police department, they saw a vehicle matching the one described by a witness. In the vehicle was an individual appearing to hide from view. When they ran the license plate, the address matched the one given to them by the Golden Chick manager. 

Detectives called for backup and arrested Brodie.

"I would like to thank our officers and detectives for working quickly and diligently to track this man down and get him off the street," DeSoto Police Chief Joseph Costa said. "He is no longer a threat to our community. I would also like to thank our residents who looked out for their neighbors and worked with us to help keep our community safe."

Police say the case will also be presented to the U.S. District Attorney's Office for potential prosecution as a hate crime.