A former meteorologist has been arrested after he was accused of threatening a local health department official in Nebraska and saying he wanted to “slice her throat.”
Ronald Penzkowski, 57, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with terroristic threatening and stalking. Officials with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said Penzkowski sent more than a dozen emails targeting Adi Pour, director of the Douglas County Health Department.
The alleged emails centered on Pour’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Authorities said that Penzkowski used new email addresses in order to keep threatening Pour after she kept blocking his other addresses.
According to investigators, Penzkowski threatened to “lynch” Pour and “slice her throat.” Authorities said they executed a search warrant at his home and found evidence to support Pour’s claims.
“Pour and staff have worked tirelessly, and she’s had difficult decisions to make,” said Sheriff Tim Dunning. “They must be able to make those decisions without fear of harm or intimidation.”
Penzkowski worked as a TV meteorologist with Omaha stations KPTM and KETV before becoming the communications director for Jim Suttle, who was mayor of Omaha from 2009 to 2013. Penzkowski left the administration in October 2010.
Also this week, police in Pennsylvania said a man shot his girlfriend and then turned the gun on himself after losing his job and becoming increasingly “upset” about the coronavirus pandemic.
