Threat suspect banned from LR-owned facilities

Correction: Luke Skrable has been charged with terroristic threatening and two counts of making a terrorist threat over allegations he sent a threatening email to Little Rock City Manager Bruce Moore last week and left threatening voice messages with Public Works secretary Sue Hulsey on Sept. 4. Relying on incorrect information in a police report, articles in Tuesday’s and Saturday’s editions misspelled Hulsey’s last name and gave an incorrect date for when the voice messages were left.

Little Rock City Manager Bruce Moore issued a ban Monday preventing the man charged last week with threatening of Moore and the Public Works Department from entering any city-owned building.

Luke Skrable, 57, is accused of sending Moore a threatening email and leaving angry voice messages with a Public Works secretary. Police charged him Thursday with terroristic threatening and two counts of making a terrorist threat -- all felonies.

Skrable told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette by phone Monday that the statements the police used to base their charges were taken out of context and that he will fight the charges in court.

The ban against him began immediately and is "until further notice," according to the letter sent by City Attorney Tom Carpenter.

Carpenter said by phone Monday that he isn't sure if officials have ever issued a ban as wide as the one put in place against Skrable, but the city has banned people from certain facilities before.

Moore decided to take the action as a result of the voice messages and email and because of Skrable's "disruptive behavior" at a recent Board of Directors meeting where he "could not control" himself, the letter states.

When asked to elaborate on what went into the decision, Moore sent a comment through city spokesman Luis Gonzalez.

Moore "regularly visits facilities throughout the city. Given the tone of the email received, he did not want to put colleagues in potential danger during those visits," Gonzalez said.

Skrable is known at City Hall for his frequent email blasts sent almost weekly to city officials, board members and several members of the media in which he accuses city employees of violating his First Amendment rights, complains about conditions where he lives, asks for records and criticizes Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola.

He posted a $5,000 bond and on Monday resumed sending emails. He sent three before 9:10 a.m. -- two about his arrest and another with the subject "Racism Rules in Little Rock Government and Communities." They were sent before the ban was issued.

Skrable's email to Moore last week came hours after he was escorted out of the city board meeting by police.

In the email, Skrable said in part, "Your days are numbered" and "We are in the same weight class, are you scared, is that it?"

He told the newspaper that he meant Moore's days are numbered as city manager, and he's been trying to get Moore fired for 12 years.

"I'm just looking to get people fired; I'm not looking to kick anybody's tail," Skrable said.

The southwest Little Rock resident is also accused of leaving two threatening voice messages with Public Works secretary Sue Halsey on Jan. 15.

In the voice messages, according to police reports, Skrable said, "Somebody is going to be bleeding" and "The longer it takes to get this fixed, the worst it's going to be -- and you know how I operate, I'm going to keep escalating this."

Carpenter, the city attorney, denied the Democrat-Gazette access to the voice messages when requested under the state Freedom of Information Act. He said they are exempt from disclosure because they are part of an ongoing police investigation.

Skrable said the statements to Halsey were made in the context of telling her that he would take his complaints about her not answering his calls to the mayor and city board and that he didn't mean she would be bleeding physically, but as a metaphor.

A Pulaski County District Court judge granted a no-contact order when setting Skrable's bail Friday, preventing him from having contact with Moore or Halsey.

The city ban on Skrable only pertains to his presence at city-owned buildings. Carpenter wrote that Skrable can still access city parks, public rights of way and use emergency city services. Skrable can also enter a city facility if requested by the department; for example, he can go to the Police Department if wanted for questioning, Carpenter said.

Carpenter asked Skrable to direct any future contact to the city's general email account, info@littlerock.org. All city board members have been asked to forward any email contact from Skrable to the city attorney's office.

The letter said Skrable can submit a written objection to the ban, addressed to the mayor and Board of Directors.

Skrable said Monday that his character has been harmed by the charges against him and that the ban is unjust treatment and a violation of his constitutional rights.

"Now with this ban, there is a set of laws for me and a set of laws for the rest of the city. ... They just don't want me down at City Hall," Skrable said.

Carpenter wrote in the letter that Moore has the authority to control city properties under state law.

Metro on 01/27/2015

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