‘Give me that $24 or die’: Man arrested after allegedly threatening to shoot Amazon employees

Police arrested a man Tuesday after he allegedly threatened to shoot an Amazon employee in Spokane after he was denied a refund for a defective product, according to a search warrant document filed in Spokane County Superior Court on Wednesday.

Spokane police arrested Matteaw R. Smith, 33, on suspicion of bomb threats and unlawful possession of a firearm. He was taken into custody Tuesday evening at his residence on the 200 block South Post Street.

According to the search warrant document, Smith called Amazon customer service and left a voice recording that said he was aware he couldn’t get a refund on an item, but added that “I’m not gonna get money stolen from me.”

“I’m gonna go to that warehouse, stick a gun to your employees’ head and tell, tell them, ‘Give me that $24 or die,’ ” Smith, who referred to himself as “Ashra,” is alleged to have said. “Well, tell your leadership what I just told them. I’m sure they will be glad to make sure an employee does not die to a bullet (in) their head.”

The search warrant document said Smith had recently received a package with two Corsair 32 gigabyte RAM sticks, but that one of them was defective.

According to court records, Smith has been convicted of other violent offenses between 2018 and 2020 in Spokane County, including second-degree assault, third-degree assault and harassment. He will be arraigned on March 28.