Man indicted for threatening to kill ICE officers on social media

Source: This report is based on an official public release from U.S. Department of Homeland Security. PULSE organizes and summarizes public government communications.

Federal prosecutors indicted David Kerr, a Knoxville, Tennessee resident, on September 16 for interstate threats following an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations Knoxville. He faces two counts related to posts on the social media platform BlueSky calling to "bear spray ICE" and "kill the ICE military police."

Kerr appeared in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee on September 21 and pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. Each count carries a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, plus up to three years of supervised release. The trial is scheduled for November 24, 2026.

"Anyone who threatens federal law enforcement will be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin.