The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office in California has decided not to prosecute a Waterville man who was arrested last weekend after allegedly driving cross-country as part of a threat against Google for taking down his YouTube channel.
Kyle Long Contributed photo
Kyle Long, 33, was arrested in Mountain View, California, on Sunday after Waterville police notified law enforcement there he had made threats against Google and could be dangerous.
He was found driving with three baseball bats in the trunk of his car and charged with criminal threatening.
“Mr. Long’s behavior was disturbing but did not meet the elements of a chargeable crime,” said Sean Webby, public communications officer for the district attorney’s office, on Friday. “We declined to file charges. We would like to thank law enforcement for their decisive and affective actions that stopped trouble before it happened.”
Long made national headlines for his cross-country trip. He also had two run-ins with Iowa State Patrol on his way to California, once for his involvement in a non-injury collision and once for vandalizing a restroom at a gas station. He was not charged in either case.
Long’s decision to confront Google apparently stemmed from his belief the company had taken down his YouTube channel, resulting in him losing money, according to police.
But some news outlets reported this week his wife, Samantha Long, was actually the one to delete the channel.
“I just didn’t tell him it was me taking it down because I didn’t want him losing his (expletive) in front of my kids,” Samantha Long told BuzzFeed News. “He was mad initially, but I said I didn’t know what happened.”
Samantha Long did not respond this week to a Facebook message from a Morning Sentinel reporter seeking comment. No one was home on two occasions when reporters stopped by the Longs’ home on West River Road and no one responded to a note left on the door.
In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Kevin Long, Kyle Long’s father, told the newspaper his son has bipolar disorder and was experiencing a manic episode when he created the video his wife later deleted.
He said Kyle Long was aiming to end world hunger by raising money through page views on YouTube videos.
Kyle Long has a criminal history in Maine dating back to 2015. Past convictions include domestic violence assault, refusal to submit to arrest and violating conditions of release.
He was also the driver in a fatal 2002 car crash that killed a passenger in his Subaru Legacy in Connecticut, according to a report in the Hartford Courant.
Kevin Long told the Chronicle his son hasn’t been the same since he was convicted for second-degree vehicular manslaughter at age 16 and sentenced to 10 years in prison for the Connecticut crash.
“All he needs is some help,” Kevin Long told the paper. “Since he’s been 16 he’s not even had a chance. He’s the absolute poster child for what’s wrong with the prison system and what’s wrong with the mental health system.”
Rachel Ohm — 612-2368
Twitter: @rachel_ohm
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