MIDLOTHIAN – Almost two years after a Dallas man threatened to “light this place up” at a tire shop in Midlothian where he was employed, Jamison Whitaker, 44, was convicted last week on charges of Terroristic Threat.
Whitaker was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
On November 18, 2022, Whitaker arrived at his place of employment at Liberty Tire Recycling with an AM-15, an AR-style rifle. The Ellis County District Attorney’s office said in a release, “The firearm was equipped with armor piercing rounds capable of piercing through body armor. Whitaker called over a couple of his coworkers and told them he was going to “light this place up.” He told them he would give them a 30-second warning before he started firing so they could get out of the way.”
Reportedly, two days before the terroristic threat, he had confronted a coworker at the tire recycling shop with an issue over what he felt was disrespect. A supervisor intervened on that occasion. From that time, reportedly, Whitaker’s behavior had escalated. Also, on the day before he arrived at work and made the terroristic threat, he had threatened the supervisor, who had intervened when he confronted the coworker.
It was reported he told the supervisor, “I got something for you,” while making a gun with his fingers.
One of Whitaker’s coworkers who saw the confrontation with the supervisor was also witness to the firearm he displayed on November 18. The coworker indicated he was disturbed that Whitaker would follow through with his plan and that the more than 60 employees at Liberty Tire Recycling’s warehouse were at risk.
This coworker reported Whitaker to his manager, who then contacted the Midlothian Police Department.
Officers arrived after the call and “safely detained Whitaker.”
The rifle, an AM-15, which Whitaker had shown his fellow employees, was also found in his vehicle and turned over to the Midlothian Police.
The Ellis County DA’s office reported in a media release that Whitaker was a convicted felon and had been in prison for five years for assault of a public servant in 2000.
In 2011, Whitaker pled guilty to murder in Dallas County and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Due to his criminal history, Whitaker’s punishment range on the Ellis County terroristic threat was anywhere from 25 to 99 years or life in prison.
Ellis County District Attorney Ann Montgomery said, “Thanks to the employees of Liberty Tire Recycling who spoke up, the offense Whitaker was convicted of was felony terroristic threat, and not something far worse. This is a reminder to the community to not take these types of threats lightly, and to contact law enforcement if they occur.”
