Congressman Chris Smith told MMM that he is more determined than ever to serve the people of New Jersey’s 4th congressional district, following an online death threat he received last weekend. The congressman said the threat is not the first and will not be the last. “We can’t let that kind of tactic win,” he said.
Dereal Finklin, 43, of Plainfield, was arrested on Saturday, July 28 after he posted a picture of Smith on facebook with the caption “dead man walking.” Smith said the post was referred to Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni who, Smith said, took the threat seriously and had Finklin arrested.
Finklin, who have a non-violent criminal record, according to The Trentonian, is in the custody of the Monmouth County Correctional Institution pending his detention hearing.
Congressman Smith was in Middletown on Thursday evening where he attending a book signing at Brookdale Community College before holding a round table meeting with young adults at a private home.