While freedom of speech is a right of every American citizen, local law enforcement says that does not include someone making comments which can create a "public panic".
That happened recently when a local man posted on social media that he had information about one of the missing women in our area having been dumped in Ross Lake. That claim led to a two-day search of the lake which proved to be false. It also led to that man being arrested for making a false report and creating a public panic.
Ross County Sheriff Chief Deputy T.J. Hollis says "certain" false social media posts can lead to legal charges against the individual who posts it.
This legal issue is equivalent to a decades old U.S. Supreme Court ruling that stated freedom of speech does not allow an individual to yell "fire" in a crowded movie theatre.
Hear more on this from Ross County Sheriff George Lavender and Chief Deputy T.J. Hollis. Click on podcast below....