Massachusetts Man Arrested for Allegedly Threatening to Shoot, Burn Pride Flag
A man has been charged with threatening to destroy a Pride flag displayed at a shopping mall in Massachusetts.
On Thursday, a 29-year-old man named Gage Scammell, of Weymouth, Mass. was arrested on suspicion of making threats against Derby Street Shops, a high-end retail location in Hingham, according to television station WCVB, Boston’s ABC affiliate.
Scammell allegedly left a voicemail saying that he would shoot down and burn the flag if the flag were not removed from the flagpole within three days.
Police also alleged that Scammell used disparaging remarks regarding the Jewish faith.
“The Hingham Police Department supports and stands with our LGBTQ+ and Jewish communities and we will not tolerate any threats or discrimination against them,” said Hingham Police Chief David Jones in a statement following the incident. “The men and women of this agency will vigorously investigate threats against any member of our community.”
The statement said that Derby Street Shops management had a voicemail where a man, who police identified as Scammell, called and allegedly said he was going to the shopping center "shoot the flag down with a rifle, and burn it if it was not taken down within three days," according to the Boston Globe.
Derby Street Shops's management team alerted police Thursday of the voicemail.
“I want to reiterate that any attacks against the LGBTQ+ or Jewish communities, or any other marginalized group, will be dealt with swiftly and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Jones added. “Hingham is a welcoming and accepting community and we will continue to work with our local stakeholders to ensure that our town is safe and inclusive for everyone.”
Scammell was arraigned in the Hingham District Court on charges related to interference with civil rights, threatening to carry or use a deadly weapon, and threatening to commit a criminal offense.
