Lakewood man arrested for ‘veiled’ threats made against Gov. Bob Ferguson
A Lakewood man is accused of sending multiple “veiled” death threats in response to social-media posts by Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson.
Prosecutors charged Casey Cutter Patterson, 34, on Oct. 22 with threats against governor or family and intimidating a public servant, according to court records.
Patterson was arrested on a bench warrant Monday afternoon, jail records show. He pleaded not guilty to the charges during his arraignment Tuesday. Pierce County Superior Court Commissioner Barbara McInvaile set bail at $200,000.
McInvaille also ordered a 10-year no-contact order be in place for Ferguson, court records show.
No attorney was listed for Patterson in court records, and he remains in custody at the Pierce County Jail.
Investigators say Patterson began posting replies to Ferguson’s X, formerly Twitter, account when the governor was the state’s attorney general in 2023. Patterson’s posts initially were protected under the First Amendment and were mostly looked at as an upset constituent, according to charging documents. That changed starting January 2024 when investigators say Patterson’s comments changed in tone.
Patterson allegedly posted pictures of the front door to Ferguson’s house multiple times, documents show. That began in March 2024 when he allegedly posted on X, “Hey Bob, here’s your frequent reminder that you actually have no power over the people. The constitution limits you, not us. We have the right to alter or abolish our government when it no longer serves us. Here’s a picture of a quaint front door to help you sleep at night.”
The pattern of allegedly posting photos of Ferguson’s door continued, including in March 2024 when he allegedly posted the photo four times in a 19-span day.
The Washington State Patrol Criminal Investigations Department looked into the posts and said it was unclear if Patterson himself took the picture or if he got it from somewhere. It was later determined he had allegedly taken the picture himself before posting it frequently.
A lieutenant from WSP spoke to Patterson over the phone on March 24, 2024, saying the picture was a concern to law enforcement and Ferguson.
The lieutenant reportedly said, “Mr. Ferguson does not want to be contacted, followed, tracked, or monitored in his personal life,” according to charging documents. A summary of the conversation with Patterson said the defendant was agreeable, and he claimed he never threatened Ferguson. Documents show Patterson did not post or reply to Ferguson’s accounts for a long period after the phone call.
That started again in Nov. 24, 2024 when Patterson allegedly replied to an X post made by another account, saying, “I know he’s worried about his address, which is public information. He had WSP contact me for tweeting a picture of his front door. I’m going to keep tweeting it.”
Documents allegedly show that throughout the end of 2024 and into 2025, Patterson posted multiple times a picture of the governor’s front door or disclosing his address, which investigators say he likely got from the Public Disclosure Commission.
Documents allege Patterson’s posts also questioned the ability of Ferguson’s personal security detail, with one post from Oct. 2 saying, “I’d like to remind you that we have more guns than you and your WSP PSD, and we know where you live.” A few months earlier in August 2025, Patterson allegedly posted a picture of an AR-15 and referred to Ferguson’s personal security detail.
WSP investigators found through a search warrant of Patterson’s X account that he had a screenshot of a public disclosure request for information regarding former Gov. Jay Inslee’s “personal security detail.” Detectives also obtained direct messages Patterson sent on Feb. 27, 2024 containing pictures of Ferguson’s front door and vehicle.
Detectives sought an arrest warrant, alleging that Patterson’s posts escalated over time, and the statements he made, as well as the pictures, posed as a credible threat to Ferguson. Documents show a detective was concerned that Patterson would move towards physical violence if he was simply issued a summons to court, rather than being arrested on a warrant.
Patterson does not have any previous convictions, according to court records.
