Detroit man charged with terrorism in graffiti threats

DETROIT - 49 year old Stuart Horatio Lewis from Detroit is now formally arraigned. He’s accused of spray painting threats against police and Chief James Craig on a building on the city’s east side. Lewis was also charged with malicious destruction of a building and intent to deliver marijuana. 

“It's was a terrorist act. You’re talking about ‘kill the police’.  Suppose someone wants to act on it," said Calvin Craig, a neighbor who was disgusted by the graffiti.

That's why it took less than 24 hours to re-arrest Lewis. He was released by police Sunday because the prosecutor believed there was not enough evidence to hold him. However, police are telling Fox 2 that no new evidence was submitted to the prosecutor that justified the re-arrest.

“It's wrong how he's been characterized on the news as the worst person in the world, because he’s not," said John Lewis, the suspect’s uncle.

In previous interviews, Lewis himself said that he had nothing to do with the graffiti.

One of the big issues for the prosecutor is to prove that Stuart Lewis actually painted the words on the building across the street from his house.

“There a lot of people that don't like what our police department is doing, and a lot of other police departments,” said John Lewis. “You don’t bust their door down, shoot their dog, firebomb the house and burn him, drag him out in the street with undershorts on, you don’t do that!"

That’s a reference that Lewis accused police of roughing him up during the initial arrest on the charges.

“He probably had a can of spray paint and just wanted to do something for the hell of it,” said neighbor Calvin Craig. “You’ve got to think. These are men and women are out here for $35-40,000 a year risking their lives for us."

Lewis remains jailed on a $25,000 - 10% bond. His next court appearance will be November 1st.