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Ronnie Hardison, Sr., 71, of Pinetown, was charged with threats against an executive, legal, or court officer on Friday, Nov. 1. He threatened Representative Keith Kidwell (R-Beaufort) and other candidates in the parking lot of the Beaufort County Board of Elections office on Highland Drive in Washington, according to Washington Police Department.

Kidwell shared with media outlets on Friday morning (Nov. 1) that Hardison approached him expressing concerns about the education children in state group homes were receiving. Hardison believed children in state homes were not getting a good education, the representative said.

“Then he just started getting crazy, and saying, ‘well, you don’t care about the little people. I’m just going to shoot you,’” Kidwell told the Daily News on Friday. Hardison made the same threat multiple times to Kidwell and Democratic candidates.

Hardison then went inside the Board of Elections office and voted without incident. Beaufort County Government released a statement on Friday saying no employee of the Board of Elections saw or heard the incident. Operations at the office were not halted.

Hardison was arrested by Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office and was placed on a $1,000 secured bond. By Monday, Nov. 4, he bonded out and was not at the Beaufort County Detention Center. Threatening an executive, legal or court officer is a felony in North Carolina under General Statute 14-16.7.