Teen allegedly threatened Kansas City’s Ford plant so acquaintance could get night off
A 19-year-old was charged with a felony Wednesday, accused of calling in a false threat to the Ford Motor Company plant in Kansas City’s Northland so his acquaintance could have the night off of work.
Clay County Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson announced a charge of making a terrorist threat for Zachariah Peterson, of Independence, who was arrested before daybreak Wednesday at his home by the FBI and Claycomo police.
Peterson is accused of calling Ford’s safety and risk management team around 5:20 p.m. Tuesday. During the phone call, a threat was made by Peterson to “start shooting” if the plant was not cleared of its some 2,200 workers, according to court documents.
He claimed to have an AK-47 with three spare magazines, a handgun and one pound of C4 plastic explosive that was strapped to his chest, court documents state.
During a police interview, Peterson said he downloaded a cellphone app that helped conceal his phone number. He allegedly admitted to making the call and said he knew what C4 plastic explosives were based on playing the Call of Duty video game.
The phone call prompted Ford to shut down production and clear out its employees for the night as special tactical officers responded to evaluate the threat. The auto assembly plant in Claycomo, which produces F-150 pickup trucks and Transit vans, employs roughly 7,250 people and sits on nearly 1,300 acres.
An estimated 100 members of state and federal law enforcement officers worked to resolve the situation. Early on, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office suspected the threat could be bogus but still treated it seriously as six hours were spent searching the massive facility.
“This hoax created a huge strain on law enforcement — not to mention the financial loss that Ford suffered from shutting down production,” Clay County Sheriff Will Akin said during a news conference earlier Wednesday.
On Wednesday, Thompson commended law enforcement for “heroically” entering the space in the face of a threat. He also condemned false reports that tie up law enforcement resources and often take a “serious emotional toll” on the public for fear of violence.
“When someone makes a call like this, it pulls law enforcement officers away from their duties keeping our community safe,” Thompson said, adding: “In Clay County, we treat this type of crime with the seriousness it deserves.”
Under Missouri law, the crime is a Class D felony that carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison plus a $10,000 fine.
