SCRANTON, Pa. -- Shawn Christy was in court in Scranton on Friday. This is the first time Christy has answered to charges here in Pennsylvania after the months-long manhunt that went through six different states.
Christy said he is "absolutely not guilty" of the charges.
Christy was finally captured near Cleveland, Ohio last month, ending a manhunt that lasted more than three months and covered six states.
During his first court appearance back home in Pennsylvania, Christy was still unshaven and thin.
He made outbursts as prosecutors listed the accusations against him, a long list of charges that all started when Christy allegedly threatened President Donald Trump on Facebook.
"He was angry, he was trying to get this to a bigger venue. It has nothing to do, he voted for Trump!" said Christy's Father Craig Christy.
Christy's parents, Craig and Karen Christy, came up from Christy's hometown of McAdoo for the hearing. A judge would ultimately decide that Christy is a flight risk and a danger to the community and must remain in prison awaiting trial.
"I think it's actually the community that's a danger to him sometimes. I mean, he was attacked by a former mayor, he's had multiple death threats from Pennsylvania and around the country. So, I think if there's any danger to the community it's surely not Shawn," Craig Christy said.
The Christys say their son's ordeal all started last March with a fight against Schuylkill County officials.
Christy felt he was unfairly prosecuted in an assault case and wanted to publicize his plight by getting the attention of the president.
"Do you think he's accomplishing that?"
"Well, I think everybody here is showing that he's accomplishing that," Karen Christy replied.
"Look at all you people here, 4,000 people in the (Facebook) group and growing, 'Shawn Christy political prisoner'. A lot of people say, 'we did not know about these kind of injustices going on in our government,''" said Craig Christy.
The Christys manage a Facebook page in support of their son. They think the threats Shawn made there and his months on the run are accomplishing a goal.
"Why turn yourself in if the system's not working?" Craig Christy asked. "He was looking for justice, that's what he's looking for."
Shawn Christy is locked up at the Lackawanna County Prison and will be for the foreseeable future. The judge did not allow him to be released on bond.