Ford Heights Man Charged with Illegal Gun Possession after Facebook Threats

Deborah Bayliss | As of Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Aries Woodfin, 33 was arrested Dec. 27 and charged in Cook County Criminal Court with various weapons violations after his alleged Facebook threats against police and "little white children." Woodfin was not charged with the Facebook threats.
Aries Woodfin, 33 was arrested Dec. 27 and charged in Cook County Criminal Court with various weapons violations after his alleged Facebook threats against police and "little white children." Woodfin was not charged with the Facebook threats.

A south suburban man is the latest news headline grabber relating to tensions between police and civilians nationwide after allegedly posting threats on his Facebook page to kill police officers and children.

Aries Woodfin, 33, of Ford Heights, was arrested Dec. 26.and charged in Cook County Bond Court Dec. 27 with illegal gun possession, a felony, along with misdemeanor charges of assault, failure to have a valid firearm owner’s identification card and disorderly conduct and was ordered held without bond.

According to the Chicago Police report, Woodfin was placed into custody as a target of a search warrant which found him in possession of an illegal firearm and identified as the person who made threats against police officers and children.

Woodfin allegedly posted recent messages on Facebook threatening to kill police officers and “innocent white children,” according to published reports. He also allegedly posted photos of white children on his Facebook account along with the threats.

A woman who saw the alleged threats contacted Alabama police officials, who then contacted the Chicago Police Department whose Bureau of Organized Crime launched an investigation.

Woodfin’s alleged Facebook postings drew interest from law enforcement agencies because of the murders of New York Police Officers Ralph Ramos and Wenjian Liu on Dec. 20 who were shot and killed while sitting in their patrol car in Brooklyn, NY.

Prior to those murders, the alleged gunman, Ismaaiyl Brinsley, allegedly posted online comments about the killings of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., and Eric Garner in New York City. Brinsley allegedly killed himself in a subway station after he shot the officers.

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