DOJ Seal

Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney's Office
Middle District of Tennessee

For Immediate Release

Friday, February 17, 2017
David Rivera
, United States Attorney
Contact: David Boling

Nashville Man Faces Federal Charges for Sending Threats Targeting Law Enforcement Officers

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – February 17, 2017 – Robert Ellis Waddey, 22, of Nashville, Tenn., was indicted Wednesday by a federal grand jury and charged with communicating a threat by interstate commerce and with being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of firearms, announced Jack Smith, Acting U.S. Attorney for the administration of this case. 
 
According to the indictment, in September 2015, Waddey posted a photograph on Instagram which depicted a handgun pointed at a Tennessee State Trooper vehicle.  The posting was captioned, “F*** them non attentive hoes” and a comment read, “Gona die lookin at his computer.”
 
The indictment alleges that photographs found on Waddey’s phone depicted a uniformed police officer bleeding heavily from the head and captioned “only a dead cop is a good cop.”  Another photograph depicts a uniformed police officer who appears to have been shot multiple times in the back and laying in the street, while yet another photograph depicts a screen shot of a video showing another uniformed police officer who appears to have been shot and laying on the ground bleeding.  This photo is captioned, “ON TAPE:  OFFICER SHOT IN THE HEAD D….”
 
The indictment further alleges that Waddey sent a video of himself to another individual, which shows him shooting a high-capacity assault rifle in varying positions, as if he were training for combat and a subsequent text that read, “Police won’t even know what to think lolololololololol.”  Another photograph shows Waddey sitting in his vehicle at a traffic light in South Nashville with a Glock pistol in his hand, positioned in such a way where the pistol would be viewed in the same frame as a police car on a traffic stop in the distance with the blue lights activated.  A comment posted with the photograph contained a slang threat to law enforcement.
 
The indictment also alleges that various text messages sent by Waddey conveyed threats toward law enforcement and indicate the pleasure he took in the number of targeted cop killings.  In one text message, Waddey discusses getting high on “coke” or “molly” and his desire to go “mutder” cops.
 
Count two of the indictment alleges that Waddey is an unlawful user of a controlled substance and illegally in possession of 18 firearms, including 13 handguns, four assault rifles and a shotgun. 
 
If convicted, Waddey faces up to 5 years in prison for sending threatening communications and up to 10 years in prison for illegally possessing firearms and up to a $250,000 fine on each charge.
 
This case was investigated by the FBI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.  Assistant U. S. Attorney Courtney Coker is prosecuting the case.
 
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Nashville Field Division