WINTON – A Murfreesboro man is behind bars here after threatening to shoot two local judicial officials.

Terry Lee Shinaberry, 58, of 543 Pinetops Road was arrested Monday by Hertford County Sheriff’s Captain Marty Davis.

According to Hertford County Sheriff Juan Vaughan, Shinaberry stands accused of making a threat over the telephone and again in the presence of a Roanoke-Chowan Hospital nurse in regards to claiming he was going to shoot District 6B Court Judge Tom Jones Jr. and Assistant District 6B Attorney Chuck Kinsey.

He was arrested on two felony counts of threatening executive legal court officers and jailed under a $200,000 secured bond. He made his initial appearance in Hertford County District Court on Tuesday and remains incarcerated.

Vaughan said that Shinaberry allegedly made the first threat during a phone call he placed to the Crisis Hotline sometime after 5 p.m. on Monday, and repeated that statement later at the hospital.

“In both cases, Mr. Shinaberry said he was going to shoot both Judge Jones and Assistant DA Kinsey in the face,” Vaughan stated.

It’s unclear if Shinaberry’s alleged threats were connected to an incident in late March of this year where 60 Australian Shepherds, including 13 puppies, were rescued from his home, according to information provided by the United States Humane Society (USHS).

After being visited by law enforcement officials regarding concerns about the welfare of the dogs on the property, Shinaberry agreed to surrender all of his dogs and cease operations of an alleged “puppy mill” (breeding animals to sell).

The Humane Society said Shinaberry claimed he was operating an animal rescue service; however there was evidence that dogs were bred on his property….a singlewide mobile home with a yard surrounded by fencing.

The Hertford County Sheriff’s Office called in USHS to rescue and remove all of the dogs. The Guilford County Animal Shelter, the Virginia Beach SPCA, The Norfolk SPCA, and the SPCA of Northeastern North Carolina were also on the scene to assist, according to the USHS.