A homeless man has been charged in Nodaway County after allegedly threatening to kill emergency room staff and burn down Walmart.

Lee Roy Jones, 67 is charged with a misdemeanor for peace disturbance in Nodaway County. According to court documents on Jan. 3 around 3 p.m. deputies responded to Saint Francis Hospital in Maryville in regards to a man making homicidal threats.

“Mr. Lee Jones had threaten to burn Wal-Mart down, as well as kill subjects in the hospital and hospital staff. Mr. Jones also stated that he had a gun and knew how to use it and he would kill people before he got off the hospital property,” Deputy Austin Hann with the Nodaway County Sheriff’s Office said in court documents. “I met with Mr. Lee Jones, Mr. Jones stated he was upset because there were Indians trying to steal things out of his car and he threatened to kill them.”

Hann said Jones’s statements unreasonably and knowingly disturbed the emergency room staff by threatening to commit a felonious act under circumstances which are likely to cause reasonable person to fear that such threat may be carried out.

“I believe the defendant poses a danger to the community or any other person because it is clear Mr. Jones has an issue controlling his anger in a healthy manner and has a history of possessing weapons,” Hann said. “After making threats to burn down a local business and kill staff and patients, a large knife was found in Mr. Lee’s vehicle.”

A mental exam was ordered by the Nodaway County court during an arraignment held Monday. A criminal setting has been scheduled for Jan. 12.

If convicted on the charge the prosecutor’s office said the range of punishment is  imprisonment in the county jail or other authorized penal institution for a term not to exceed six months; by a fine not to exceed five hundred dollars or both.