Man who filmed himself licking grocery items charged with carrying out a 'terrorism threat'

The Police Department of Warrenton Missouri has arrested and charged a man after he posted a video of himself licking items in Walmart on social media.

Cody Pfister has reportedly been charged with making a terror threat in the second degree, after he posted the now-infamous video after claiming:

Who’s afraid of the coronavirus?

The City of Warrenton Police Department said in a Facebook post:

This particular video, which won't be shared here, has gained some international attention and we have received numerous reports about the video from locals, nearby residents, as well as people from the Netherlands, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.

We take these complaints very seriously and would like to thank all of those who reported the video so the issue could be addressed.

The Riverfront Timesreported in an article (which was subse​quently shared by Warrenton Police) that the man had been charged with carrying out a terrorist threat in the second degree.

IFL Science reports that in the state of Missouri the definition of a "terrorist threat in the second degree" is a person who "recklessly disregards the risk of causing the evacuation, quarantine or closure of any portion of a building, infrastructure etc and knowingly... Communicates an express or implied threat to cause an incident or condition involving danger to life".

This isn’t the first time that police have charged people with similar offences relating to flouting coronavirus prevention measures.

A 50-year-old man from New Jersey was charged with terrorist offences for deliberately coughing on a woman after saying he had coronavirus. The BBC reports that a man was also charged with assault in the UK for deliberately coughing on a paramedic.

H/T: Riverfront Times, IFL Science