Man charged after alleged threats to former Kent employer closed business for a day

A Suffield Township man is facing felony charges after he was accused of making violent threats that resulted in the shutdown of Valvoline Instant Oil Change in Kent Sept. 21.

Evan Spencer Pickett, 28, was arraigned on charges of third-degree felony terroristic threats and fourth-degree felony swatting in Portage County Municipal Court in Kent on Monday.

Kent Police Lt. Mike Lewis said police received a phone call from Valvoline's emergency command center at about 7 a.m. Sept. 21 reporting issues with a former employee of the Kent location. The Kent Valvoline is at 403 E. Main St., at the intersection with Haymaker Parkway and North Willow Street.

Lewis said it was reported that the former employee, identified as Pickett, had allegedly been making harassing phone calls to Kent and other Valvoline locations since he was fired in early September.

Lewis said police responded after it was reported that Pickett had allegedly threatened to "shoot up the Kent store."

"We responded immediately to Valvoline on East Main Street, thinking that the suspect might be there at that time," said Lewis. "Now there was no threat there, but after conducting the investigation and speaking with Valvoline employees, they were under the impression that Mr. Pickett may attempt to cause them harm, and they ended up closing the business for the entire day. They were obviously fearful for the safety of their employees, and they thought it was best to just keep the business closed that particular day."

A manager at Valvoline's Kent location declined to comment. Attempts at reaching someone for comment at Valvoline's corporate headquarters in Kentucky were unsuccessful.

Lewis said police continued with the investigation through the rest of the day, which included consulting with a prosecutor on possible charges. According to court records, the charges were filed Friday and a warrant was issued for Pickett's arrest.

Pickett was booked into Portage County Jail early Saturday evening, according to a jail booking report. Lewis said he believes it was the Portage County Sheriff's Office that arrested Pickett.

Pickett was without an attorney at his arraignment, according to court records, and filed a request Tuesday for the appointment of an attorney to represent him.

Judge Melissa Roubic set a $35,000 bond during Pickett's arraignment, with conditions, if released, including that he neither use nor possess firearms, ammunition, alcohol or illicit substances and that he have no contact with Valvoline in Portage County.

Pickett is scheduled for a bond hearing Wednesday afternoon and a preliminary hearing Friday morning.

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Reporter Jeff Saunders can be reached at jsaunders@recordpub.com.

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Man charged after alleged threats closed Kent Valvoline for a day