Dont ComplyA Suffolk police officer was arrested Monday by his own department and is accused of threatening to "shoot up" a police precinct, according to a report cited by a reader tip. A criminal complaint alleges that Kenneth Ryan Barrick, 29, sent a text to an unidentified person at 10:41 a.m. saying, "I'm going to shoot sector 2 up," referring to Suffolk Police Precinct II off Bridge Road. Barrick reportedly admitted to police that he made the statements and was charged with threats to discharge a firearm within or at a building. He has served four years with the department and was placed on administrative leave without pay pending an internal investigation. He was taken to Western Tidewater Regional Jail and is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday. A department spokesperson did not respond to a request about how the department learned of the texts. Both investigations remain active.
Why it matters
The case involves a sworn officer charged over an alleged threat against his own department's facility, and both criminal and internal affairs investigations remain active. Barrick is charged, and the allegations have not been proven in court.
These are unproven claims, and everyone named is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Researched with AI assistance from the sources listed here and reviewed under our methodology.