Utah man arrested for vowing 'civil war' against local mayor if COVID-19 lockdown didn't immediately end

A man in Utah has been arrested for vowing to start a "civil war" in Salt Lake City unless its mayor agrees to end lockdown policies that were designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The Salt Lake Tribune reports that a 58-year-old man was arrested last week after he called the office of Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall and said that he would work to "forcibly remove" her from office unless she ended the lockdown.

"There's a protest tomorrow and if things don't change, a civil war is coming, and the police can't stop me," he also said in his phone call.

The man also made threats of "civil war" in separate Facebook posts, the Tribune reports.

"Bring your guns, the civil war starts Saturday," he wrote. "Be prepared to defend our God given constitutional right."

Despite being arrested, the man has not yet been charged with a crime, although he is under investigation for making terroristic threats and electronic communication harassment.

He has been released from prison after posting $5,000 bail.