MANSFIELD – Federal fugitive Shawn Christy’s father encouraged his son to surrender to local law enforcement in Richland County during an exclusive interview with Richland Source on Tuesday morning.
Craig Christy answered a series of questions about his 26-year-old son, who has been sought by federal authorities for more than a month. Shawn Christy, of McAdoo, Pennsylvania, has allegedly threatened the lives of President Donald Trump, a prosecutor and any law enforcement officer that gets in his way with “full lethal force.”
Shawn is on the FBI’s Most Wanted list and is described as “armed and dangerous,” according to a press release from the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
“Shawn, mom and I love you more than you’ll ever know. Nothing is too big that we can’t get through together,” Craig Christy said when asked to address his son directly. “It’s time to surrender. You’ve proved your point. It’s time to work this out.”
Craig Christy believes the “best-case scenario” is for his only child to turn himself into the Mansfield City Police Department.
“Shawn Christy, if you see this and want to surrender, contact Mansfield City Police Chief Ken Coontz. Call 911. He is a good man and understands the situation. Do not trust the U.S. Marshals. Love, Mom and Dad,” he posted on his Facebook page Monday morning.
Craig tagged his son, even though he doubts Shawn has a phone with him any longer.
While Craig Christy hasn’t met or spoken with Coontz, he’s heard positive things about the police department and heard the chief speak with a Cleveland area reporter. Further, he expressed concern with the U.S. Marshals, calling the agency “so militant and gung-ho.”
“I would like my son to be able to go somewhere, somewhere that it’s safe. (With) somebody who is good that we can trust … I was so glad to find a safe haven for Shawn,” Craig said.
Multiple law enforcement agencies converged in Richland County Sunday night to search for Shawn Christy. They were drawn here after finding a white 2002 GMC utility truck crashed on hill north of the Interstate 71, Ohio 13 interchange. Christy reportedly stole the vehicle early Sunday morning near Hazle Township in Luzarne County, Pennsylvania — a six-hour drive from Mansfield.
Law enforcement believes Christy fled on foot after the crash.
“Never Had to Come to This.”
Craig Christy believes law enforcement could have handled his son’s threats differently.
Craig said he reported his son to local authorities on June 12 after seeing threats posted on Shawn’s Facebook page.
“He made those at 1 a.m. in the morning because he was very upset and mad. He’s had terrible injustice with the case,” Craig Christy said. “He made a bad judgement call, and I thought we could get this settled in a week.”
He said Shawn made the posts out of frustration.
Shawn was charged with aggravated assault, making terroristic threats and harassment after a physical altercation with Mayor Stephan Holly. The suspect said the mayor assaulted him.
Craig Christy also said his son was falsely accused of the attack.
In June, an arrest warrant was issued after Christy failed to show up for jury selection in the mayoral assault case.
Christy’s Facebook page soon featured the following comment: “Keep it up (prosecutor) Morganelli. I promise I’ll put a bullet in your head as soon as I put one in the head of President Donald J. Trump.”
A federal arrest warrant was issued for Christy on June 19 for threatening the president and others.
“A situation that could have been handled simply turned into a monstrosity,” Craig Christy said.
The U.S. Marshals showed up. Shawn’s 18-year-old cat, Arrow died. And Shawn fled, leading law enforcement agencies on a chase through New York, Canada, West Virginia, Maryland, back into Pennsylvania and then into Ohio on Sunday.
“Shawn’s scared, and he’s angry, and he wants justice,” Craig Christy said.
He believes if Mayor Holly and the police officer who responded to the incident were taken into custody, his son would likely surrender.
Craig Christy said the death of Arrow may have also played a role in Shawn’s anger.
“He loved that cat dearly. It was just very sad. And I think that might have been what angered him and set him off on a new level,” Craig said.
The cat, which had heart problems, was perched on the kitchen table when the U.S. Marshals searched the Christy home June 20, according to Craig Christy.
He recalled how he and his wife, Karen were instructed over loud speaker to “get out of the house” while the Marshals searched the house for Christy.
When they returned indoors, Arrow was panting, and its eyes were “glazed over.” The cat died later that day.
According to Craig Christy, the family’s two other cats stayed hidden for days after the search.
“100 Percent Behind Him.”
Craig Christy and his family have heard only a handful of times from their son over the past three months.
“Last Friday, he tagged me in a post, actually on my timeline,” Craig Christy said.
Shawn Christy mentioned concern about an injured knee, which was slowing him down.
Two weeks earlier, Craig Christy said his son used a computer by breaking into Skitco Iron Works, the same place he allegedly stole a truck from on Sunday.
Craig Christy said his son took cookies, a shotgun and ammunition.
“Not to hurt anybody, most likely to try to go hunting,” he said.
He doesn’t see his son as a threat to the community.
“He’s not a danger to anybody … The worst he might do is steal from an ice cream place,” Christy said.
Craig remembered seeing security footage of his son breaking into one building by removing an air conditioner in the window.
Christy said the air conditioner was knocked into a sink, but his son removed it “so it wouldn’t get damaged and wrapped up the chord.”
“We don’t condone the crimes he’s committing, but we understand why he’s doing it,” Christy said.
“Don’t Want to See Anybody Hurt.”
Craig Christy says his family is “numb.”
“We don’t know if a vigilante is going to put a bullet in his head. It does take a toll,” Craig said. “My wife and I we are lucky if we get an hour or two of sleep at night.”
Friends often bring meals and visit to support the couple. They meet behind the computer in the living room to post updates on their Facebook Group, Shawn Christy Political Prisoner.
Christy believes now is the time for his son to surrender.
“He’s more than made his point. He has thousands of supporters now … We don’t want to see anybody hurt,” he said.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol is encouraging anyone with information about Christy’s whereabouts or that sees anything “out of the ordinary” to call 911 or 419-756-2222.
