Police Say Man Threatened Sheriff While Asking Trump for Immunity

An Arizona man has been accused of threatening to kill a county sheriff — and then allegedly asking President Donald Trump to grant him immunity afterward.

Jose Angel Valadez, 30, has been charged with threatening and intimidating and use of an electronic device to threaten, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office announced on Thursday.

According to the sheriff’s office, Jose Angel Valadez made “direct threats” on Wednesday against Maricopa County Sheriff Jerry Sheridan in posts on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

“Our Threat Management Unit conducted a rapid investigation that located and took Valadez into custody the same day,” deputies said.

Investigators said Valadez’s alleged threats included a request for “full presidential immunity.” Officials did not provide further details about the specific language he used.

“The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office enforces the rule of law without exception and will not tolerate threats or violence against elected officials, delivering swift and decisive consequences to anyone who attempts to intimidate this agency or its personnel,” the agency said in its statement.

Sheridan won election in 2024 as sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona’s most populous county and home to Phoenix. His campaign bio says he “brings over four decades of deep-rooted law enforcement experience, institutional knowledge, and a servant’s heart to his leadership of one of the largest sheriff’s offices in the nation.”

The biography continues: “After securing a decisive victory in the 2024 general election, Sheridan was sworn into office with a clear mandate: restore stability, professionalism, and public trust while prioritizing public safety and employee support throughout Maricopa County.”