Sheridan man facing charge for threatening country singer
SHERIDAN (WNE) — A Sheridan man was arrested Feb. 4 for allegedly sending electronic death threats to a Texas country singer.
Baptiste Brafford, born in 1980, sent threatening Facebook messages to Texas country artist Tanner Usrey Jan. 12. Usrey was scheduled to play in Rapid City, South Dakota Feb. 6.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, Brafford’s threatening messages read, “Don’t come to Rapid City, you could end up ‘Charlie Kirk’ spreading that same hate. It be an arrow though.”
Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed in Orem, Utah Sept. 10, 2025 while speaking at an outdoor campus debate organized by Turning Point USA.
Brafford continued, “Hey a 30-06 (thirty-ought-six) would blow your head off. That’s what killed Charlie Queen yet didn’t blow his head off. You think it was a 06 (ought-six) but any good ole boy knows that was a .223 at best.”
Sheridan Police Department Sgt. Jacob Board was asked Feb. 4 by Rapid City law enforcement to follow up on the reported threats sent to Usrey.
Law enforcement was able to contact Brafford at his residence in Sheridan.
Brafford told officers that he remembered sending Facebook messages to Usrey approximately one month ago, stating that he was drunk when he sent the messages. Brafford further stated he had deleted the conversation.
Brafford was taken into custody Feb. 4 for communicating with Usrey electronically and threatening to kill him.
Brafford pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charge on Feb. 5. A $5,000 cash only bond was set and posted on Feb. 5 for Brafford, who was released from the Sheridan County Detention Center the same day.
Telephonic threats is a misdemeanor charge but can be elevated to a felony if it involves repeated threats to inflict injury or death — a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The decision to elevate the charge from a misdemeanor to a felony is up to the Sheridan County Prosecuting Attorney.
This story was published on Feb. 12, 2026.