An LSU student was arrested Tuesday after Louisiana State Police said he posted a threat online to kill Gov. Jeff Landry.
Jackson Pemberton, 21, told police he was upset with the governor’s decision to bring a live tiger to the sidelines before LSU’s game with Alabama, according to an arrest warrant the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office provided. Jail records show Pemberton was charged with one count of threatening a public official.
State troopers were forwarded a picture of a post they say Pemberton made on X, formerly Twitter, that stated: “I am going to kill you @JeffLandry.” Investigators used Pemberton’s social media accounts to locate him at an off-campus apartment complex.
“Pemberton stated that he was upset with the governor’s decision regarding the live tiger
that was brought on the LSU football field this previous weekend,” the arrest warrant said. “Pemberton further stated disagreement with the governor’s decisions. Pemberton stated he did not wish to harm the governor and that the post was made as a joke.”
The crime of threatening a public official in Louisiana is punishable by a fine of up to $500 dollars, a maximum of six months in prison, or both.
Landry and Surgeon General Ralph Abraham have been the most ardent supporters of bringing a tiger back inside Tiger Stadium. LSU ended the tradition in 2015 after its live mascot, Mike VI, grew resistant to entering his travel cage before football games. The university decided not to revive the ceremony when it acquired Mike VII in 2017.
Representatives of LSU’s veterinary school, who provide care for Mike, held firm against Landry’s idea to bring the tiger back into the stadium. He and Abraham then connected with Mitchel Kalmanson, an exotic animal handler in Florida, to bring a 1.5-year-old live Bengal tiger named Omar Bradley to Baton Rouge. The animal was placed into Mike’s cage, brought into the stadium and removed ahead of kickoff.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has compiled an extensive list of federal infractions against Kalmanson for the alleged mishandling of tigers and other big cats in his possession.
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Louisiana Illuminator is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Louisiana Illuminator maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Greg LaRose for questions: info@lailluminator.com. Follow Louisiana Illuminator on Facebook and X.
