A Ray man threatened a Richfield police sergeant after a traffic stop, then sent the sergeant a late-night text containing the sergeant’s home address, according to charges.

Christian Thomas Barton, 27, faces a felony charge of threats of violence.

According to the complaint, just before 10 p.m. on September 21, 2026, a Richfield police officer on patrol near 78th Street West and Pillsbury Avenue South noticed a suspicious vehicle parked in a traffic lane near Public Storage. The officer found the car suspicious because the business was closed and there had been recently reported break-ins.

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The officer ran the vehicle’s registration and found it was registered to Barton. When the officer approached, Barton became confrontational and used profanity. After issuing Barton a citation for an inoperable headlight, the officer told him he was free to go, but Barton did not leave.