ST. ALBERT, Alta. - An Edmonton-area man has been charged after a tip from Facebook that he allegedly threatened to shoot police officers.
RCMP Constable Janice Schoepp says a Facebook security officer in the U.S. spotted alarming posts on the social networking site on Friday.
Schoepp says Facebook called the FBI, which contacted an FBI liaison officer in Vancouver who alerted the Mounties in northern Alberta.
The Facebook posts were tracked to an address in St. Albert, just northwest of Edmonton, and tactical officers showed up at the man's door Friday evening.
Police say the man surrendered without incident following an hour of negotiations.
Schoepp says investigators seized evidence in the home related to the investigation, but she says no firearms were found.
Schoepp didn't release specifics about the alleged threats -- only saying that several posts were made and that they contained threats to harm police officers.
Thirty-two-year-old James Houtstra is scheduled to appear in St. Albert provincial court on January 30th.
© The Canadian Press, 2012