EXCLUSIVE: Former UIllinois student, BLM 'extremist' was 'ok with killing' police officers, docs allege
Alleged Black Lives Matters activist and student Joshua Gray had his home searched and his firearms seized by the University of Illinois Police.
Joshua Gray had previously been arrested after he allegedly spray painted on the sidewalks during a BLM rally on campus in mid-August.
A student at the University of Illinois who was arrested during a protest in August for defacing property expressed that he was “ok with” killing police officers, according to documents obtained by Campus Reform.
Joshua Gray’s apartment was searched and his firearms were seized after an investigation into his conduct at his place of residence.
Campus Reform obtained the search warrant as well as other documents relating to the investigation of his conduct via a Freedom of Information Act request. According to the documents, on October 5, an officer was dispatched to the Chaz Veteran Center for a report that someone had written a disturbing message on a whiteboard.
The whiteboard had a “class motto” written on it that was allegedly altered by Gray. The motto originally said, “Maximize Potential, Open Doors, You Belong Here.” According to police documents, the message was altered to read “I do not belong here.” “KILL YOUR MASTERS” was written on the bottom of the message as well as a “balled-up fist.”
According to these documents, Gray is the person who wrote the message.
Gray allegedly spoke with the Director of the Chaz Veteran Center, saying that he does not want to be here and that he was unenrolling from school to join the “war that is going on right now.” The documents stated that Gray wanted to stop taking classes and engage in “activism.”
The University of Illinois Police said it confirmed through the Dean of Students’ Office that Gray stopped attending and participating in class.
In the police documents, individuals whose names were redacted described Gray “as an ‘extremist’ follower of the Black Lives Matter movement” who frequently talked about firearms that he owned. Another individual described Gray as “unpredictable” and a user of “LSD, MDMA, marijuana, and any other drugs he could get his hands on.” Another individual stated that Gray said he would be “OK with killing random police officer” [sic]. The document said that he later tried to talk back that statement.
The documents obtained by Campus Reform further state that Gray runs a Facebook page called “The Daily Emancipator,” which “is aligned with the Black Panther Party.” Documents obtained by Campus Reform show a screenshot of one post from the page which shows a sword through a swastika with the word “Antifa” above and the phrase “Kill ‘am all” underneath.
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On October 9, after being issued a search warrant, police conducted a search of Gray’s residence.
Police said they found a firearm as well as several boxes of ammunition, which were seized. Gray received a notice to appear, a No Trespass Order, and an involuntary withdrawal letter from the Dean of Students.
The Behavioral Intervention Team, Ann Marie Morgan, interviewed Gray over his “recent conduct and bizarre statements. She was accompanied by two officers due to safety concerns of his “erratic and statements both verbally and to other residents at Chez and writings online”.
During the meeting, Gray expressed “his frustrations with the university, political climate of the country, and his military background,” according to a police report. He also said that one of his “life’s missions” was protecting “victims or victim groups,” but did not explain further.
Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @realBlairNelson
