AKRON, Ohio (AP) — A Cleveland man accused of planning to make a false distress call and kill any responding officers has pleaded not guilty to attempted kidnapping, according to the FBI.
Christian Stanley Ferguson, 20, made several posts on social media about how he wanted to make a false report about a crime in progress in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park to attract federal law enforcement, investigators said.
Ferguson planned to kill the officers, steal their weapons and “start an uprising,” according to investigators. He allegedly met with several people to discuss his plan and had practice drills with an AR-15 rifle.
Ferguson also made a false distress call in a national park to gauge how soon park rangers would respond, the FBI said. Four officers responded to the call, and Ferguson reportedly said that if that many responded to the actual call, they would all be killed.
Ferguson appeared in U.S. District Court in Akron on Tuesday. He was arrested Friday.
It was unclear whether Ferguson had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.