Police arrest man during rapper’s trial accused of tweeting threats to DA

This story was published on page A1 of The Advocate on May 9, 2012. 

East Baton Rouge Parish sheriff’s deputies arrested a 21-year-old man Monday for threatening on Twitter to shoot District Attorney Hillar Moore III outside the trial of rapper Torence “Lil Boosie” Hatch, authorities said.

Deputies said they found Dedrick Deandre Green, 14004 Longvue Drive, Baker, sitting in the courtroom Monday afternoon, watching Hatch’s first-degree murder trial.

Green was booked into Parish Prison on felony counts of public intimidation and terrorizing, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

“I got a sniper rifle for Hillar Moore when he walk out the courthouse,” Green posted on Twitter at about 3:40 p.m. Saturday, the affidavit says.

Moore said the tweets were upsetting.

“Obviously it caused concern, someone saying they would snipe you from afar. It’s scary,” Moore said.

Green also wrote Saturday that Hatch should be freed before Green shoots the “court house up,” deputies said.

Both posts were written under the username “Dixie Goon225,” which detectives said they determined to be Green through an investigation and by comparing Green’s profile photo to his driver’s license.

After being read his Miranda rights, Green said he had posted the messages, but that he was just “fooling around,” the affidavit says.

State District Judge Mike Erwin on Monday banned cellphones from the courtroom after learning that audience members were Tweeting real time information about when certain people were leaving the courtroom and where they were in the courthouse. He made the announcement after the lunch break.

The judge said a violation of that order would result in a six-month jail sentence.

Several threats have been made against people involved in the trial, Sheriff Sid Gautreaux said.

In addition to increased sheriff’s deputies patrolling the area on foot, a State Police helicopter circled overhead Monday, said sheriff’s spokeswoman Casey Rayborn Hicks.

“We are taking all the appropriate measures to ensure the safety of all involved,” Gautreaux said.

Moore said in his position he has to be cautious, and added, “We’re concentrating on presenting our case.”

Hatch’s case will enter its fourth day of testimony Tuesday.