City Councilwoman Sheila Tyson of Birmingham, Alabama, claims an armed man threatened to "blow your brains out" because of statements she made critical of city money dedicated toward a privately funded Holocaust memorial.
Tyson filed a report with the Birmingham Police Department on July 12 at 5:37 p.m., reports AL.com.
In her written statement, Tyson retells her moment of terror:
"This statement is as a result of an incident that happened to me on Saturday, July 9th, after 2 p.m. I was leaving the Birmingham Zoo when a car pulled up on the side of me on my left. The driver of the car then asked me if my name was Birmingham City Councilor Sheila Tyson and proceeded to say, '(Expletive), I will blow your (expletive) brains out for talking about my Jewish ancestors.'
"He then picked up an object from his right and started leaning over to the window. When his hand came up, I noticed the object was a handgun. I didn't really pay attention to the color of the vehicle at that moment, I took off in my car.
"As of today, everything after that is still a blur and I still fear for my safety. As I reflect what happened to the officers in Dallas, my safety now is my Number One concern."
The threat comes after Tyson criticized Birmingham's plan to earmark funds for a Holocaust memorial after her own request to repair Shadow Lawn Cemetery, an old African American cemetery, was denied.
"Isn't it still for dead people," Tyson argued against the seemingly split ruling. "It is for dead people. Aren't the people they are memorializing deceased?"
City lawyer Thomas Bently replied, "I'm not sure I have the vocabulary or explanatory power to indicate the distinction although it's clear to me from a legal standpoint that there is a distinction." He explained that Shadow Lawn is a private entity, while the Holocaust memorial is the city's public expression of tragedy.