Man injured in Arizona shooting detained after threatening Tea Partier

Authorities in Tucson, Ariz., have arrested a man injured in the mass shooting that severely injured Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) after he threatened a Tea Party leader.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department on Saturday detained James Eric Fuller, 63, on misdemeanor disorderly conduct and threat charges stemming from an outburst during a taping of an ABC “This Week” special, the Associated Press reported.

Fuller, who was shot in the knee and back during the Jan. 8 shooting that left six dead, became enraged when Tea Party leader Trent Humphries suggested the debate about gun control be put off until all those killed are buried, KGUN-TV reported.

Local authorities told the AP Fuller took a picture of Humphries and yelled, “You’re dead.”

Pima County law enforcement officials decided Fuller would have to be examined by a mental health professional. He was taken to a local hospital for that evaluation.

The New York Times reported that in an interview last week, Fuller made several references to the “tea party crime syndicate.” The newspaper also reported during that interview that Fuller said he placed partial blame for the rampage on Sarah Palin, saying the former Alaska governor and other Republican leaders had created a toxic atmosphere.

Fuller said Republican politicians appeal to “simple-minded rednecks,” according to the newspaper.