By Dan Colton
for The Beacon

SHAWN D. KING

A criminal warrant has been issued for a Sheboygan man charged with making terrorist threats following the police shooting of Kevan Ruffin on July 2.

Police said Shawn D. King, 22, posted a Facebook threat within hours of the shooting — he warned of impending rioting and violence in Sheboygan.

Court documents indicate that King’s first post said, “WE NOT WAITING FOR NOTHING OR NOBODY IF Sheboygan DONT GO UP IN FLAMES TONIGHT IT WOULD BE ONLY BY GODS GRACE !! WE PROTESTING WE RIOTING AND MIGHT EVEN LOOT SO GET READY YOU RACIST MFS CUZ WE COMING TO MAKE SOME NOISE FOR A WHILE.”

The message went up at 10:57 a.m., police said, roughly five hours after Ruffin was shot near the intersection of S. 15th Street and Illinois Avenue. That morning, authorities said they received a report of a man with knives chasing a woman on the street. Police body camera footage shows the first responding officer warning Ruffin to stand back as Ruffin approaches with the weapons, which were a three-pronged weapon known as a “sai.”  As Ruffin continues to advance, the officer, moving away from Ruffin, fires his taser, then his handgun at Ruffin.

The Sheboygan County District Attorney has since cleared Officer Bryan Pray in Ruffin’s death, determining that the use of deadly force was reasonable.

Both men are Black.

Later that day, King followed-up with at least two more posts, police said, including one at 1:54 p.m.

The message appeared to backtrack and apologize for his earlier remarks.

“JUST WANNA SAY I NEVER SAID I WAS GONNA DESTROY OR HURT ANYONE OR ANYTHING I DELETED MY POSTS I AM SORRY IF ANYONE WAS ALARMED BY MY POSTS,” King wrote, according to police.

King is a local amateur rapper who goes by the stage name Litty Wop on Facebook to promote his music. Authorities said they were able to connect King to the Litty Wop account through previous knowledge of his identity.

Court records indicate King’s Litty Wop account had a “significant social media presence and is able to network with a large number of people.”

King has been charged with terrorist threats and disorderly conduct in Sheboygan County Circuit Court. He faces up to 3 3/4 years imprisonment and $11,000 in fines if found guilty on both charges.

Those penalties may be increased because King was found guilty of a felony within the past five years.

The warrant was issued Sept. 3.