A big story in Anderson County in 2023 involved the arrest of a Kincaid man who was running for governor. Arlyn Briggs was arrested and charged with threatening Anderson County Sheriff officers and staff. He pled guilty to misdemeanors in the case but avoided a felony conviction in September in District Court. Briggs pled guilty to making a fake call for emergency services, criminal damage to property in cutting off a court-ordered ankle monitor, and one count of violating of a protective order in connection with a feud with county sheriff’s officers.
Briggs was sentenced to 12 months probation to be served concurrently on all three counts with probation ending in 6 months if he remains compliant. Briggs says he never intended the comments as serious threats, just a warning to back off an investigation by the department into an acquaintance of his in Colony. Briggs noticed a sheriff’s department vehicle driving slowly past his home, so he called the department to remind authorities of the “Castle Doctrine,” the stand-your-ground right of individuals in Kansas to take reasonable action, including deadly force, in defense of a home.
Briggs received 80,000 votes in the general election while running against opponent Derek Schmidt in the primary election.
