Left: Jose Angel Valadez (Maricopa County Sheriff's Office). Right: President Donald Trump speaks in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House after an unspecified threat at the annual White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in Washington, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon).
A man in Arizona is accused of threatening to kill a local sheriff — and then requesting immunity from President Donald Trump after doing so.
Jose Angel Valadez, 30, has been charged with threatening and intimidating and use of an electronic device to threaten, the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office announced on Thursday.
The sheriff's office said Valadez posted "direct threats" to kill its sheriff, Jerry Sheridan, on Wednesday on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
"Our Threat Management Unit conducted a rapid investigation that located and took Valadez into custody the same day," deputies added.
Authorities say that in his threats, Valadez asked for "full presidential immunity." They did not elaborate on the exact nature of his words.
"The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office enforces the rule of law without exception and will not tolerate threats or violence against elected officials, delivering swift and decisive consequences to anyone who attempts to intimidate this agency or its personnel," the law enforcement agency added.
Sheridan was elected sheriff of Maricopa County — Arizona's largest, containing Phoenix — in 2024. His campaign bio said he "brings over four decades of deep-rooted law enforcement experience, institutional knowledge, and a servant's heart to his leadership of one of the largest sheriff's offices in the nation."
The bio adds: "After securing a decisive victory in the 2024 general election, Sheridan was sworn into office with a clear mandate: restore stability, professionalism, and public trust while prioritizing public safety and employee support throughout Maricopa County."