In a case that challenges the lines between criminality and free speech, Briana Boston, a 42-year-old mother from Lakeland, Florida, was arrested on Tuesday after she concluded a phone conversation with an insurance company by uttering, "Delay, deny, depose. You people are next."
This phrase gained notoriety after the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City, where the bullets used in the crime bore the engravings "Delay," "Deny," and "Depose" — words that became a chilling symbol of the killer's motives. Boston told police that she chose to use the phrase "because it’s what is in the news right now.”
The Lakeland Police Department's arrest affidavit reveals that the FBI informed them of this alleged threat. Boston had called BlueCross BlueShield to challenge the denial of her recent medical insurance claims, and the entire exchange was captured on a recording, per the affidavit.
During the investigation, Boston told police:
Healthcare companies played games and deserved karma from the world because they are evil.
Lakeland Police Chief Sam Taylor said:
She’s been in this world long enough that she certainly should know better that you can’t make threats like that in the current environment that we live in and think that we’re not going to follow up and put you in jail.
Taylor acknowledged that Boston admitted to using the phrase but denied intending it to be taken as a threat, saying:
She readily admitted that, ‘Yeah that’s exactly what I said but I didn’t mean anything by it.’ Well, you don’t get to pull that back after you say it.
Boston was charged with threats to conduct a mass shooting or an act of terrorism. During her arraignment, Boston's attorney Jim Headley argued for her to be released on her own recognizance, telling the judge:
My client is 42, married mother of three. Never had any criminal charges or convictions. May you release her on her own recognizance.
However, the judge set a bond, citing current events and saying:
I do find that the bond of $100,000 is appropriate considering the status of our country at this point.
Leftist talking heads have displayed a noted lack of sympathy for the murder victim, Thompson, who left behind two young children. In an interview with Piers Morgan, journalist Taylor Lorenz said:
I felt, along with so many other Americans, joy...
In an appearance on MSNBC alongside anchor Joy Reid, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) relayed questionable sentiments about Thompson's assassination, saying (emphasis added):
Violence is never the answer. This guy gets a trial who’s allegedly killed the CEO of UnitedHealth. But you can only push people so far. And then they start to take matters into their own hands.
On Thursday, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) made the same type of statement, with the word "but" doing heavy lifting (emphasis added):
This collective American experience, which is so twisted to have in the wealthiest nation in the world, all of that pain that people have experienced, is being concentrated on this event. It’s really important that we take a step back. This is not to say that an act of violence is justified, but I think for anyone who is confused or shocked or appalled, they need to understand that people interpret and feel and experience denied claims as an act of violence against them.
Read More:
Elizabeth Warren Goes Off the Rails With Vile Comment About Shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO
AOC on Murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO: ‘Not to Say That an Act of Violence Is Justified, But …’
These responses from public figures like Lorenz, Warren, and Ocasio-Cortez stop just short of condoning violence. When this is the public discourse from leaders in the most powerful governmental institutions or those with influential media platforms, it gives credence to Boston's statement that she used the phrase simply "because it’s what is in the news right now."
These figures create a climate where extreme expressions are seen as part of a legitimate public discourse. But, those voices on the left will soon shift focus from exploiting Thompson's murder to advance their agenda on socialized healthcare, leaving a mother to confront terrorism charges for expressing her discontent on the topic du jour.
Ultimately, the fairness of Boston's prosecution hinges on whether her words should be seen as a true threat or an overblown expression of frustration. It seems investigators knew Boston wasn't a material threat, as there was no evidence of planning or capability for violence beyond her verbal outburst. This misuse of a terrorism charge is far more dangerous than letting people yell at their insurance company representatives.
