Police: Aurora man invoked Henry Pratt in threat against housing authority
A 55-year-old Aurora man has been charged with making a "Henry Pratt" threat against two officials at the Aurora Housing Authority.
Shane J. Pfister, of the 500 block of South River Street, faces two counts of felony threatening a public official and one count of misdemeanor disorderly conduct after authorities said he made a threat and repeatedly referenced the Feb. 15 workplace shooting in Aurora in which five employees were killed and five police officers wounded.
According to Kane County court records, Pfister is accused of saying on May 7 he would go "Henry Pratt" on two housing authority officials and the agency's law firm in Sugar Grove after he received an eviction order and was accused of breaking a window and taking an air conditioning unit.
"The law firm received multiple phone calls from the defendant and during the time on the phone, the defendant made numerous statements about causing harm to other individuals," Sugar Grove Police Chief Pat Rollins said.
Rollins said police investigated, and Pfister was arrested May 9 with the help of Kane County sheriff's deputies after he appeared in court in St. Charles on another case.
Rollins said no one was hurt and authorities didn't search Pfister's residence because he was being evicted.
Rollins also noted Pfister was using racial slurs that are "unconscionable in this day and age."
Pfister is the third person in recent weeks to be charged criminally for specifically mentioning the shooting in a threat.
He is free on bond and due in court Thursday. If convicted, he faces a punishment ranging from probation to up to five years in prison.
At the time of Pfister's arrest, he was free on bond from a felony domestic battery arrest in March 2018, records show. Pfister, who has two previous convictions for violation of an order of protection, is accused of punching a woman he knew, according to court records.
If convicted in the domestic case, he faces a punishment ranging from probation to up to three years in prison.