Man arrested for viral video threats in Norcross
After a viral video surfaced showing a 65-year-old man launching a racist tirade and shouting slurs at a security guard, Gwinnett County police arrested Robert Burke. The confrontation, which occurred in front of children at a Norcross Social Security office, was followed by a second disturbance at a Duluth hotel where Burke was eventually taken into custody.
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. – Gwinnett County police have arrested a 65-year-old man following reported disturbances at a Social Security office in Norcross and a hotel in Duluth.
What we know:
According to the Gwinnett County Police, officers responded Jan. 14 to a disturbance at the Social Security office at 4365 Shackleford Road. Investigators said witnesses provided video showing a man making threats and verbally insulting others inside the office. Police said multiple children were present during the incident.
Employees identified the individual in the video as Robert Burke, 65, and told officers he had caused disturbances at the location in the past. Burke was not at the scene when officers arrived, and a warrant was issued charging him with disorderly conduct.
The guard reported that Burke then became irate. Cellphone video obtained through open records shows Burke yelling at people and children present at the scene.
“I’m a citizen… you f—… you’re a —,” Burke is heard saying in the footage. When confronted, he replied, “What are you going to do? It’s free speech.”
In other portions of the video, Burke tells an individual, “Get out of here. I’m going to kick the — out of you. Look at you now. Yeah. Take a shot.”
Robert Burke (Gwinnett County Police Department)
Police said Burke was taken into custody the following day, Jan. 15, after officers responded to another disturbance involving him at the Courtyard Marriott hotel on Venture Parkway in Duluth.
What they’re saying:
Gwinnett County Police Cpl. Angela Carter noted that while the First Amendment protects many forms of expression, there are legal limits.
“There are exceptions to the First Amendment. Those include fighting words,” Carter said. “So basically, you can’t make statements face to face to someone that may entice violence in that moment.”
The video of the encounter went viral, garnering tens of thousands of likes and shares across multiple social media platforms. Carter encouraged citizens to continue recording such incidents.
“Take video. We love that. It always helps us,” Carter said. “But still contact the police so we can take steps to make an arrest quickly in situations like this.”
What we don’t know:
While police said other individuals at the scene could have potentially been victims of simple assault, they chose not to prosecute.
Efforts to reach Burke via email for comment were unsuccessful.
Gwinnett CountyCrime and Public SafetyNews
