A North Texas man is charged with two counts of terroristic threat against a public servant after the Texas Department of Public Safety said he sent violent messages to Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico in August.
Billy James McFatridge, 29, of River Oaks near Fort Worth, was arrested Aug. 25, according to a DPS affidavit reported by KXAN and CBS Austin. Both counts are Class A misdemeanors filed in Travis County.
The affidavit says an Aug. 3 email to Talarico’s campaign account threatened to kill him and “drag your body through the streets.” An Aug. 11 Instagram message made a similar threat, KXAN reported, citing the warrant. Talarico’s chief of staff notified DPS on Aug. 12.
Investigators used search warrants to Google and Meta to identify the accounts, according to the affidavit. DPS agents interviewed McFatridge at his workplace Aug. 19. He admitted sending the messages and said he wanted to scare Talarico, not hurt anyone, the documents state. He also told agents he had access to a rifle, pistol and shotgun; the affidavit said their whereabouts were unknown at the time.
Talarico told investigators he planned to increase security at campaign events, including one in the Fort Worth area, according to the Star-Telegram. No physical attack or injuries were reported in connection with the messages.
McFatridge is accused, not convicted. Court records cited by outlets also note a 2018 aggravated-assault case involving his mother. Bond conditions sought by investigators included GPS monitoring, a mental-health evaluation, no firearms, and no contact with Talarico or his staff, CBS Austin reported.
Talarico, a Democratic state representative from Austin, is running against Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton for U.S. Senate.
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