John Hocking, 42, of Gratiot, was arrested by Darlington Police on Tuesday, Jan. 6, at 9:00 a.m. for disorderly conduct.  
Darlington Police Chief, Jason King noted that the arrest was a result of Hocking allegedly posting threats on Facebook indicating his desire to blow up a government building in Darlington and to potentially use weapons against law enforcement.

The government property mentioned in the posts was Lafayette County Human Services, which is housed in the Darlington Municipal Building. The postings were reported to law enforcement by a witness, said King.

During investigations, authorities searched Hocking’s home and computer, although according to King, the searches yielded no evidence to suggest that Hocking poses a threat to pubic safety.

A press release from the Darlington Police Department further stated that case findings to date suggest that the comments Hocking allegedly posted to Facebook were out of anger and not part of any further plot or conspiracy to harm law enforcement or destroy government property. It is also believed by authorizes that alcohol was a contributing factor in the postings.

Hocking appeared in Lafayette County Circuit Court for an initial appearance on Friday, Jan. 9 on charges of disorderly conduct and was released. Hocking will next be in court on this matter on Tuesday, Jan. 20 at 1:30 p.m.