MOSES LAKE, Wash. (From news reports) -- Moses Lake Police officers have determined that a threat reportedly made against International Paper employees was not serious and doesn't rise to the level of criminal harassment.
The alleged threat reportedly occurred Wednesday evening, in which an employee at the Moses Lake facility allegedly made a threat involving a gun to another employee. The recipient of the threat told police that they did not believe it was meant seriously, according to police officials.
Washington state law requires a threat to be considered credible, cause fear to recipients, and the person making the threat needs to have the means to carry it out. As not all of the criteria were met, criminal charges could not be brought.
"Given the totality of the circumstances, it did not meet the criteria of criminal charges," said MLPD Captain Mike Williams. "We do take the information seriously, and we have an officer out there."
Through the immediate recipient of the threat did not believe it to be credible, the company terminated the employee immediately.
International Paper has also contracted with the City of Moses Lake to pay for the 24-7 presence of a Moses Lake officer, and will be covering the full cost of that officer's salary during the security stint, Williams said. The security detail will continue as long as the company continues to contract with the city.
The MLPD pulled from off-duty officers to cover the contract so as not to draw down daily staffing, Williams said.
