CHARLESTON, W.Va. — An Illinois man has been sentenced to 10 months in federal prison after threatening a Putnam County police office over a fatal incident involving the man’s brother.
Rodney Hanson, 37, previously entered a guilty plea to a charge of sending a threatening message over social media. He sent the threat to a police officer involved in the shooting death of 49-year-old Kevin Hanson.
Hurricane police pulled over Kevin Hanson on Jan. 6, 2019 for a traffic violation. According to police, Kevin Hanson left the scene and wrecked his car near the intersection of U.S. Route 60 and state Route 34. Kevin Hanson allegedly fired a gun at officers as they approached his vehicle. The officers returned fire and killed Kevin Hanson.
Rodney Hanson, who lives in the Chicago area, posted a threat on an officer’s Facebook page on Jan. 8, 2019. He later said he was upset about the family not receiving enough information from Hurricane police about his brother’s death and did not intend to follow up on the threat.
Rodney Hanson will also have to undergo three years of supervised release, which will include testing, counseling and treatment for drug and alcohol misuse. He can also not have direct or indirect contact with the officer or their family and must install computer software designed to monitor his activities.