Troy man, 79, accused of threatening Muslim men at library reportedly has dementia; prosecutors say 22 guns registered to him
Peter Hamilton Northup faces four counts of aggravated hate crime after police say he threatened to kill four young men offering to discuss Islam outside the Troy Public Library. Police have recovered 19 of his guns under a red flag petition.
By OCJ Staff
A 79-year-old Troy man charged with hate crimes after police say he threatened four young men outside the Troy Public Library reportedly has dementia, and prosecutors say he has 22 guns registered in his name, according to new details reported Tuesday, Oct. 13, by C&G Newspapers.
Peter Hamilton Northup faces four counts of aggravated hate crime, filed by Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald.
Charges are accusations; Northup is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
What police allege
On Saturday, Sept. 12, four young men were standing outside the library offering to talk with the public about the Quran and Islam, according to C&G. Northup is accused of confronting them, and he reportedly told the men he hates Muslims, threatened to kill them and said he had a gun, C&G reported.
The men called police, who found and arrested Northup. He was carrying a loaded pistol, C&G reported.
No one was physically hurt, according to Troy police Sgt. Edwin Julian, who said Northup acted alone. The four men have not been publicly identified.
New details in the case
According to C&G:
- Northup reportedly has dementia and a history of police welfare checks tied to a decline in his mental health.
- He holds a concealed pistol license, and 22 firearms are registered in his name, according to the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office.
- Troy police filed an Extreme Risk Protection Order petition, under the state's red flag law, to take his guns. Officers have recovered 19 of them.
The whereabouts of the remaining three guns were not reported.
Bond and next hearing
Magistrate Elizabeth Chiappelli set bond at $500,000 cash or surety on Sept. 15 in 52-4 District Court. A review hearing is set for Dec. 3.
Northup's defense attorney, Patrick Wilson, did not respond to C&G's request for comment.
Officials respond
"Islamophobia is never acceptable," McDonald said. She said the men were threatened for exercising their First Amendment rights, and she praised Troy police for securing Northup's guns.
Julian said in an email that the department does not see many hate crimes like this one in Troy.
This story uses reporting from C&G Newspapers' Troy Times.