MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A man arrested for reckless driving along I-40 last month is also facing a charge of making a threat of mass violence.
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Department said Christopher Caldwell, 21, was driving at speeds in excess of 90 mph, weaving in and out of traffic, and taunting deputies when he was pulled over near the Germantown Parkway exit.
Deputies said they turned on their emergency lights to slow Caldwell down, but he refused to stop.
Due to traffic concerns, deputies turned off their lights and said that is when Caldwell began cutting off other drivers. A deputy caught up with him at the Germantown Parkway exit.
According to deputies, when Caldwell was taken into custody, he told them he would put on tactical gear and “be on the news.” They stated he threatened to commit “the next Dallas shooting” or “something like Uvalde, Texas,” an officer stated.
In 2016, a sniper ambushed a group of police officers in Dallas, Texas, shooting and killing five officers, and injuring nine others. Two civilians were also wounded.
In May, nineteen students and two teachers were killed and seventeen others wounded in a mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.
Officers said they recovered a handgun and over 200 rounds of ammo for various guns from Caldwell’s vehicle.
Caldwell is being held on a $10,000 bond. He is scheduled to go before a judge on Tuesday.
