Rochester Police Death Threats Case on Hold
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A man accused of making "credible threats" against two Rochester police officers has been found to be incompetent to face prosecution.
The ruling was handed down this week by an Olmsted County judge in the case of 52-year-old Josef Makatewassi. A psychological evaluation was ordered for the case in June shortly after the Edina man was charged with a felony terroristic threats charge and a gross misdemeanor count of harassment.
The criminal complaint against Makatewassi alleges he sent a series of emails to the officers that became threatening. The court document says the emails included personal information about the officers’ families, including photographs. One of the emails threatened to use an officer's daughter for sex trafficking. The charges indicate authorities decided to arrest Makatewassi after he allegedly sent emails on June 9 that threatened to kill the officers and their families.
The competency ruling puts the criminal case against Maketewassi on hold until it is determined that he is capable of participating in his defense. It's expected that the court will schedule a review hearing at a future date to check on his status.