A Pennsylvania man has been arrested for leaving disturbing and graphic death threats on the voicemail of a Black sheriff. “I’m going to find you n—er,” he told Delaware County Sheriff Siddiq Kamara. “I’m going to hunt you.”
The Delaware County District Attorney’s Office announced the arrest on July 28 of Sean Keenan, 40, of Havertown.
He was charged with terroristic threats with intent to terrorize another, ethnic intimidation, harassment, and disorderly conduct. He is currently at home on electronic monitoring, with bail set at $100,000 unsecured. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 7.
Philly Inquirer)
Sean Keenan Threats to Kill Sheriff
On July 18 — Kamara’s 31st birthday — two chilling voicemails came into the sheriff’s office.
“Death to Islam,” said a man. “I will find you. I know where you are. You’re an amateur. You sold your tell. I will find you. I will break you.” A few minutes later, the office received another violent voicemail from the same person.
“Death to Islam, I’m going to find you n—-r, I’m going to hunt you, I’m going to hunt you like I go hunting in Alaska. I’m going to find your trail, and I’m going to snipe you when you least expect it, and I’m going to force feed you your intestines.”
Investigators said the man ended the message laughing. They also traced multiple calls and hang-ups to Keenan’s work and home phones.
Kamara was sworn in on Jan. 5 at the age of 30, making him the youngest sheriff in the U.S. He is also the first Liberian-American to hold the office in Pennsylvania’s Delaware County. In a statement released on social media, he thanked detectives for their swift action and said the threats have only strengthened his resolve.
Keenan Claims the Threats Were Intended for Someone Else
On July 28, Keenan’s attorney, Michael Dugan, issued a statement on behalf of his client.
Dugan claimed it was all a mix-up and that the voicemails were intended for a scammer, not the sheriff’s office. He said Keenan’s wife had gotten a threatening phone call, and when he returned the call, it was to the Sheriff’s Office’s number.
“We understand why Sheriff Kamara found the voicemail offensive, and nothing in this statement is intended to diminish his feelings,” Dugan said. “The evidence will show that this was a misdirected voicemail resulting from a scam call, not a deliberate communication directed at Sheriff Kamara.”
Commenters on social media are skeptical.
“He meant to leave ‘Death to Islam’ on someone else’s voicemail,” one person on Instagram wrote sarcastically. Many are wondering if the argument will “fall flat” once the phone records are reviewed.
Elected officials gathered on July 29 in front of the Delaware County Courthouse in solidarity with Sheriff Kamara and to call out the hate-filled voicemails.
Dr. Bonnie Breeze Guntoon, convener of the Delaware County Black Caucus, put it plainly: “The hateful and threatening message directed toward our sheriff was not simply an attack on one public servant. It was an attack on our shared humanity.”
