TOPEKA, Kan. — A 59-year-old man who prosecutors say threatened Wichita’s mayor because he was upset about a mask mandate has been charged.
Meredith Dowty, of Wichita, was charged Tuesday with three counts of criminal threat. The retired firefighter is accused of threatening to kidnap and kill Mayor Brandon Whipple over his role in requiring masks in Wichita in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Police say the suspect sent text messages to a city official threatening Whipple’s life. The charges come a day after Kansas Gov.
Laura Kelly urged residents to tone down the “anti-science, anti-mask” rhetoric sparked by the pandemic.
