4chan is arguably one of the places where people tend to have strong statements and opinions. However, the anonymity that the site offers did not save the 38-year-old Richard Golden who posted a death threat against a Sheriff in Florida.
Details of the Threat and Arrest
The man that was arrested was from South Brunswick, New Jersey, and took to 4chan to express his hatred towards the law enforcement officer. It was said to be brought on by the Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood's support of his local Jewish community.
His support came in the form of a press conference, publicly speaking out against "anti-semitic propaganda." This caught the ire of the far right, which eventually led to Golden's post. The threat was made known to Chitwood by the Central Florida Intelligence Exchange
The post in 4chan mentioned shooting Chitwood in the head and he would stop being a problem, and that they'll have to find a new guy to be the problem. He added that the murder solves an immediate problem, and then added "In Minecraft," as mentioned in Kotaku.
In response to the post after Golden's arrest, Sheriff Chitwood joked and tweeted "What a shame. A 4chan troll has to come out of his room," and then thanked Brunswick PD. Golden was found at his mother's house and will be extradited to Florida to answer for the felony.
Golden is not the only one to target the Sheriff for his support of the Jewish community. Although, Chitwood remains firm on his beliefs and said that he stands with his Jewish friends and that he was honored to be sought after by "a bunch of punk thugs," pointing at hate groups.
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The 'In Minecraft' Phrase
Users on various sites like 4chan, Reddit, etc., would use the phrase "In Minecraft" to make it seem like they aren't talking about something in the real world. The phrase is usually an extension of a statement that can be seen as controversial, or in this case, illegal.
Since the users add the phrase, the statement will appear like it is in relation to or within the game, like it would cancel out the severity of the statement just because they state that it's only within Minecraft.
Of course, it didn't work for Richard Golden as law enforcement went to his mother's house to arrest him. The phrase even sparked the creation of a subreddit called r/inminecraft, wherein the phrase has been taken literally.
Reddit users would post a screenshot of a circumstance within the game that is comparable to real-world issues. For instance, one user posted a screenshot of a player in blue holding a sword, who is said to be killing dogs in the game.
The caption asked if people can do something about "blue players" since they are killing 20 dogs a day without being banned. According to Know Your Meme, it was about the stereotype that involved cops who shoot dogs.
There were also memes that emerged wherein a lawyer was explaining to a judge that their client clearly stated that he was only doing it "in Minecraft." Obviously, people can determine whether or not the statements that users attempt to mask with the phrase are dangerous.
