Lawyer Says Client That Threatened Super Bowl Is 'Insane'

The lawyer for the man accused of leaving a voice mail message on the City Council president's phone saying "killing 100,000 people would get people's attention" is "clinically insane," his attorney said Friday.

Albert Strickland, 56, was arrested Thursday, accused of making a bomb threat. At his first appearance, his lawyer said he was just released from a mental health facility in Illinois last month.

Bond was set at $250,000, but he would have to undergo psychiatric evaluation before being allowed to post bond.

The voice on Council President Elaine Brown's voice-mail message Tuesday afternoon identified himself as Strickland and left a cell phone number police traced to him.

"It was quite threatening toward the Super Bowl and making sure it didn't happen," Brown said of the long message left at her office Tuesday afternoon. The message began, "Hi Elaine."

He was charged Thursday with threatening to discharge a destructive device -- a felony. No bomb was found in his possession or the Hyde Park home where he was staying.

In the message, the man said Jacksonville didn't deserve the Super Bowl and said he wanted the mayor, city council and members of law enforcement to resign. He said police had tried to kill him several times.

In the message, the man described himself as a scientist intent on stopping the Super Bowl, that he believed in the Big Bang theory and was "obsessed with the size it needs to be."

The police report indicated that officers who interviewed Strickland said his voice matches that in the recorded message.

After his court appearance Friday, Stickland's attorney told Channel 4's Jim Piggott that his threat was just the ramblings of man who was clinically insane at the time.

"I understand why police reacted the way they did," Russell Smith said. "I have the advantage of knowing a little bit more about Mr. Strickland. I don't think there was every any risk to the public. I don't think he is a danger to anybody."

Police said that Strickland has no criminal history.

"Of course we are not interested in prosecuting the mentally ill," Assistant State Attorney Stephen Siegel said. "If there's a mental illness, of course there's a mechanism in the criminal justice system to get those evaluated."