John Brek, the former NJ airport security guard who was accused of threatening President Obama last month, was released today after serving 29 days in the Newark county jail for harassment. Brek was interviewed by CBS 2 for "about 15 minutes" after he was released, and denied the threat while lamenting his time in jail: "I wouldn't wish it on nobody...You can't sleep, can't eat. I lost a tremendous amount of weight. Trying to sit in that 4-by-7 room and rock yourself to sleep, wondering what they were saying about you on the outside." At least he lost some weight?
Berk insisted that there was never any threat made, and that he had just made reference to the fact that the Air Force One landing area was a security risk: "No threat involved at all...Nobody was threatened. Nothin'. There was no reason to threaten anybody. I was just going out to have a gyro and a juice for lunch break."
Essex County chief assistant prosecutor Kieth Harvest said it was the context of his comments that provoked the jail stay, saying, "It was pretty clear he had a bias against certain ethnic groups, one of which the president happens to be of." Brek was subsequently fired from his job, and his gun collection ("43 weapons") was confiscated by police. He also has a restraining order on him, requiring him to stay away from the President: "Asked what he would say to President Obama if given the chance, Brek said simply, 'I'm sorry this happened. I'm not trying to kill you, or anyone for that fact.'"
