A small-town Texas mayor received a package with a noose and threatening letter inside.
The package was delivered to Arcola Mayor Fred Burton, with a typed note that read, “Get out of the race now!!”
Police in Arcola said they are investigating the incident.
“This threat is being treated with the utmost seriousness and the Arcola Police Department has requested assistance from the FBI in investigating this criminal act,” the department said in a post on Facebook.
Chief of police Arika Carr said the department has increased the mayor’s security due to the threat, according to local reports.
The threat comes amid a string of controversies during the mayor’s campaign this year.
The Houston Landing reported that Burton spent $7,500 on a private investigator to prove council member Ebony Sanco lived in a neighboring town in an effort to remove her from the council.
That expenditure was paid for by taxpayer money.
“He used $7,500 of taxpayers' money to harass me for a week,” Sanco said, according to the Landing. “How stupid is that?”
In another incident, the Landing reported that Burton posted a video on Facebook of his rival’s campaign flyer being set on fire. The video was later taken down.
After the Arcola Police Department posted about the noose being delivered to Burton, police again commented on their post with language that suggested people had been negative about the mayor and that the department had deleted their comments.
“We are committed to our code of ethics and values, and remain impartial and objective in carrying out our responsibilities,” said Arcola police.
“This is a crime and it will be investigated as any other crime. Any and all negative comments will be removed,” police said.
Comments have now been limited on the Facebook post.
