Alabama man charged after allegedly threatening President Biden in call to White House

Published 8:28 pm Wednesday, July 20, 2022

An Alabama man has been charged with threatening President Joe Biden in a call to the White House, federal authorities said Wednesday.

A criminal complaint filed by the U.S. Secret Service alleges that John Andrew Bazor Jr., 37, of Mobile, called the White House switchboard on July 10 and made the death threat. He was arrested Monday in Mobile, south Alabama.

Prosecutors on Wednesday asked a judge to order a psychiatric evaluation to determine whether Bazor is competent to stand trial, WALA-TV reported. The report said prosecutors cited the man’s outbursts during a probable cause hearing earlier in the week and his resistance to mental health counselors as reasons for the request.

Bazor’s attorney, Gordon Armstrong, said he supports the call for a mental health evaluation, adding that the prosecution’s filing raises serious questions about whether his client is criminally liable due to his possible mental health issues.

The complaint said Secret Service agents tracked Bazor to a Mobile motel on Monday. According to the complaint, Bazor acknowledged that the phone number used to call the White House was his.

Federal investigators also learned Bazor had made several calls to the Secret Service office in Mobile the weekend before he called the White House, according to the complaint. It also said he called the State Department and the CIA.