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On November 1, 2023, 41-year-old Christian Beyer, an army veteran of Petaluma, California, was apprehended for reportedly posting online videos of himself threatening to kill multiple military personnel at the Fort Irwin army base in San Bernardino County.
Disclaimer: This article contains strong language and mentions of violence. Readers' discretion is advised.
A press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California, stated that as per an affidavit filed with the complaint, on October 30, Christian posted a YouTube video in which he reportedly said,
"I had a great…life and I will…die for what I believe in. If you come to…get me and you have a …uniform on, you're a[n]…enemy and I will not look at you as anything else. I will…fight you 'til I take you down."
According to the press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Christian Beyer, who was arrested at his father's house in Sonoma County, has been charged with interstate threats, which can lead to a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
Christian Beyer threatened to kill specific military personnel accountable for his 2021 court martial
Courthouse News Service reported that in the three-and-a-half-minute video, posted on YouTube on October 30, Christian threatened to kill Richard Payne, the Chief of Police at Fort Irwin, Master Sergeant Richard Boone, an officer, and others whom he considered to be accountable for his 2021 court martial.
According to the report by Courthouse News Service, in the video, Christian Beyer is heard saying:
"I'm calling out the people that forced me out. I will f*cking come and hunt you, and I'm telling you that right now and not just because I'm harboring a witness because the cops f*cking made up all this shit anyway and you guys f*cking ran along with them so f*ck you. I'm coming for you. I'm gonna kill your whole f*cking family if they stay there."
For context, as per a federal complaint in the Central District of California, Christian Beyer was court-martialed in 2021 for assaulting his wife.
According to the report by Courthouse News Service, a memo written by Brigadier General Curtis D. Taylor and quoted in the complaint, mentioned that Christian pushed his wife, barricaded himself inside his house with an unregistered firearm, and violated lawful orders. Following his arrest, he spit chewing tobacco on the floor of the patrol car and urinated in the police interview room.
Past offenses by Christian Beyer
According to the press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, on October 30, Christian reportedly got into an altercation with a gathering of elderly people in Mendocino County after leaving his car in a neighborhood where he did not reside. Christian reportedly flashed a knife at one of the elderly individuals, got in his car, drove away, then came around and rushed towards the group, driving 13 feet off the road at them.
The press release mentioned that Christian then raced away and drove to a parking lot, where he was confronted by local authorities and reportedly jumped out of his car and ran, prompting a manhunt that was concluded with his arrest.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is in charge of the investigation as part of its Los Angeles Joint Terrorism Task Force, and Assistant United States Attorney Daniel H. Weiner of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
The U.S. Attorney's Office stated that a federal magistrate judge in San Francisco ordered Christian Beyer to be jailed without bond and is anticipated to be arraigned in the Central District of California in the forthcoming weeks.
Courthouse News Service reported that in August 2022, Christian Beyer was convicted of assault, domestic violence, and disrespecting a noncommissioned officer and acquitted of two additional charges, which resulted in a 43-day confinement, a $1,000 penalty, and demotion.
As per Military.com, Christian joined the army in August 2000 as an armor crewman and served for about 23 years, departing in March 2023 as a sergeant first class. He was stationed in Iraq thrice during that period, including the early days of Operation Iraqi Freedom in April 2003. He was also stationed in Kuwait twice.
