‘Not Being Taken Alive’: Police Arrest Man For Allegedly Threatening Several Synagogues, Public Figures

An Alabama man armed with guns, ammo and body armor was arrested Monday after allegedly threatening to attack synagogues and public figures, the sheriff’s office said.

Deputies said they seized multiple weapons and more than a suitcase full of ammunition from Jeremy Wayne Shoemaker, who “had intentions of not being taken alive.” The Clarke County Sheriff’s Office said the arrest came after credible threats were made against several synagogues in Alabama and surrounding states, prompting alerts to the FBI and state prosecutors. (RELATED: 6- And 8-Year-Old Kids Help With Life-Saving Measures After Father Gets Stabbed On Side Of Road)

“Likely acts of violence were averted before they happened,” the department said in a statement.

Shoemaker, 33, was taken into custody during a search of his home, AL.com reported. He was charged with resisting arrest and unlawful possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, with additional charges pending, according to the sheriff’s office.

Clarke County Sheriff DeWayne Smith told FOX10 the suspect was heavily armed and appeared prepared to use his weapons.

“He had stockpiled some ammunition, some of it was old, some of it was new,” Smith said. “He had a newly purchased assault rifle, he had extended magazines which were loaded, and the way that the ammo was fixed was like he was ready to go and utilize it somewhere.”

Smith added that Shoemaker did not intend on being taken alive when deputies arrived.

“He had planned to shoot it out with the police, but due to tactics, he was unable to do so,” he continued. “Now he did sustain a few scratches as you can probably see in his mugshot, but that was due to the resisting he did once the arrest was effective.”

It remains unclear how Shoemaker allegedly made the threats, CNN reported. The Clarke County Sheriff’s Office said the investigation is ongoing.

The Daily Caller confirmed Shoemaker’s arrest with the sheriff’s office by phone. Smith said multiple agencies, including the FBI, assisted in stopping the threats and taking Shoemaker into custody. He also alleged the suspect had an arsenal of weapons, both old and new, and intended to use them.

Smith told the Caller the investigation and arrest were the result of coordinated law enforcement efforts.

“This was a team effort across the board,” he said, citing cooperation among multiple agencies “working well together.”

“I like that we’re saying, ‘we prevented this’ rather than ‘what could have been done to prevent this,’” Smith said.