Name: Caller told Rep. Emilia Sykes he would kill her father if she didn’t resign from Ohio legislature
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Caller told Rep. Emilia Sykes he would kill her father if she didn’t resign from Ohio legislature

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NEW!6,816sharesCOLUMBUS, Ohio - An unidentified caller told state Rep. Emilia Sykes she must resign from office or her father, state Sen. Vernon Sykes, would be killed, according to an Akron Police Department report released Friday.When ringing Emilia Sykes, the man was able to make the call look like it was coming from her father’s phone number, and she answered.“The suspect told Emilia he had her father and he would kill him,” the report stated. “He repeatedly told Emilia to ‘step aside’ referring to her political stance, telling her to resign from office, or he would kill her father. The suspect told Emilia not to contact police."It was untrue that the caller had Vernon Sykes, however, because Emilia Sykes, who is the Ohio House Democratic leader, disconnected the call and dialed her father. He answered, the report said.Vernon Sykes reported receiving a call, which was disconnected, on that phone 17 minutes before the call to Emilia Sykes. The report doesn’t say whether anything was communicated to Vernon Sykes.And Emilia Sykes did call police, talking to them around 5 p.m. May 23.The report indicates the caller had a “southern male voice."Emilia and Vernon Sykes did not comment Friday, but Dennis Willard, a spokesman for the family, said: “The Sykes family continues to respect the wishes of investigators and not comment at this time. They’re also taking some time together to deal with this as a family.”, Gov. Mike DeWine, as well as Ohio Senate President Larry Obhof and Senate Minority Leader Kenny Yuko, released statements condemning the threat of violence without getting into specifics of the crime.“Simply put: hatred has no place in Ohio, and violence will not be tolerated,” DeWine said.Obhof and Yuko noted it’s a felony to threaten public officials.Emilia Sykes has been outspoken as House minority leader. Most recently, she criticized DeWine’s plans to stem the coronavirus spread in African American and other minority communities .She also has been vocal in her opposition of Republican House Speaker Larry Householder and toward DeWine and Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton.The House under Householder has been more critical of the economic shutdown and . Emilia Sykes announced she wrote a letter to Householder, criticizing a House floor seating plan that she said didn’t keep at least 6 feet between the lawmakers. She also was uncomfortable with the small number of GOP lawmakers wearing masks during session.“Like other Ohioans, we trust that our employer is making the best decisions for our health and safety in the midst of this global pandemic,” she said. “But unfortunately, we are learning just as many other Ohioans are as they return to work, that not all employers are taking COVID-19 seriously and are purposely putting their employees at risk."The Sykeses are a prominent Ohio political family.Emilia Sykes is a lawyer with a master’s degree in public health who became House minority leader last year.Vernon Sykes previously served on Akron City Council. Outside the legislature, he’s a political science professor at Kent State University and director of the school’s Columbus Program in State Issues.Barbara Sykes, Emilia Sykes’ mother and Vernon Sykes’ wife, also served on Akron City Council and in the Ohio House for three terms. She now is president and CEO of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus Foundation.More coverage: Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission.

NEW!6,816sharesCOLUMBUS, Ohio - An unidentified caller told state Rep. Emilia Sykes she must resign from office or her father, state Sen. Vernon Sykes, would be killed, according to an Akron Police Department report released Friday.When ringing Emilia Sykes, the man was able to make the call look like it was coming from her father’s phone number, and she answered.“The suspect told Emilia he had her father and he would kill him,” the report stated. “He repeatedly told Emilia to ‘step aside’ referring to her political stance, telling her to resign from office, or he would kill her father. The...

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Caller told Rep. Emilia Sykes he would kill her father if she didn’t resign from Ohio legislature

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