A 33-year-old Yonkers man who had threatened to kill Yonkers police officers and Mayor Mike Spano was recently found to be mentally incompetent to stand trial. Ridon Kola was arrested last March (2023) and charged with making threatening interstate communications.
Kola posted social media comments directly to the Yonkers Police Department’s social media account stating his support for ISIS and his intention to murder numerous police officers.
A psychologist recently found that Kola was unable to assist properly in his defense, and was sent to a hospital for mental treatment and evaluation for four months.
Kola had threatened members of the Yonkers Police and Mayor Spano as early as 2021. When the YPD went to Kola’s Yonkers home, he claimed that he had no plans to harm YPD officers or the Mayor.
Kola’s online threats returned in 2023, before the March 18, 2023 Yonkers Saint Patrick’s Day Parade.
In January 2023, KOLA posted multiple statements expressing support for “jihad,” or “to war against non-Muslims,” and the establishment of a “caliphate,” and depicting the raised index finger gesture used by jihadist groups, including the terrorist organization the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (“ISIS”).
On March 6, 2023, appearing to reference YPD’s prior interview of KOLA, KOLA sent a direct message to the YPD social media account stating: “I’m looking for that officer that came to my house and threatened me and my family to kill us. I’m going to burn the world until I find him Vallahi [by God], no matter what happens to me there will never be peace in this country anymore! Allahu Ekberr.” The phrase “Allahu Ekberr” is one form of an Arabic phrase meaning “God is great,” which radical Islamic extremists have proclaimed in connection with the commission of terrorist attacks
As of March 9, 2023, KOLA’s social media account profile included the statement, “Now is personal America and the world!!!” and a threat to burn “cia fbi nsa police jud[g]es alive w their families too!”
Also on March 9, KOLA sent two direct messages to the YPD social media account stating: “First people to be crucified will be the Yonkers rats Vallahi. Allahu Ekberr”; and “I will crucify Yonkers cops and their bosses all along McLean ave. It will be a horror scene . . . Allahu Ekberr.” McLean Avenue in Yonkers is part of the route for the Yonkers St. Patrick’s Day Parade taking place on March 18, and numerous YPD officers will be posted to the parade route along that street. KOLA’s residence is in the area of the parade route.
Three days later, on March 12, 2023, KOLA posted to his social media feed a photograph of himself holding an axe with a statement in Albanian, translated to the following: “Come on Judas, I’m waiting for you.”
KOLA, 33, of Yonkers, New York, is charged with making threatening interstate communications, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
Mayor Mike Spano said last year, “I want to commend our Yonkers Police Department, FBI, NYPD, Joint Terrorism Task Force, and all agencies involved in thwarting this threat. We rely on their expertise, skill, and knowledge to ensure our safety. Yonkers is proud to host one of New York’s largest St. Patrick’s Day parades and threats like this will not intimidate us from celebrating the many contributions of our Irish American community. I look forward to proudly leading the parade tomorrow and ask all to meet me on McLean for the festive celebration.”
