Michael Matsos

Name:
Matsos, Michael Christopher

Date of Booking:
02/28/2026

Reason(s) For Booking:
FAILURE TO APPEAR FOR FINGERPRINTABLE OFFENSE – MISDEMEANOR

DISORDERLY CONDUCT

TERRORISTIC THREATS AND ACTS

RECKLESS CONDUCT

Officer’s Narrative:
[Please note: The following is a direct transcription from the official initial incident report. The Georgia Gazette does not fix any spelling or grammatical errors that may exist. Any changes or redactions made by our staff are placed inside brackets. Some errors may exist. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The topics discussed may be sensitive to some readers. Discretion is advised.]

On February 28, 2026 at approximately 10:40 hours, I responded to Mary Ross Park in reference to assisting Lt. Daniels with a male disrupting the Stewbolee Festival. Lt. Daniels, who was working off duty at the city event, informed me of a male, later identified as Michael Matsos making politically threatening motivated statements about President Trump, the Epstiene case, 9/11 conspiracies, and the U.S. Government.

Mr. Matsos was extremely aggressive and in the faces of basic event attendees and children. While engaged with Lt. Daniels, he was directed to leave the area if he could not maintain a peaceful demeanor and behavior.

While speaking with Lt. Daniels, we both could hear another large yelling match coming from Bay Street near the car show area. Lt. Daniels immediately recognized the voice as Mr. Matsos, the male he just spoke with.

As we were walking through the crowd, I observed citizens yelling at Mr. Matsos to “walk away.” Prior to us arriving at the source of the arguing, I observed [VICTIM #1] kicking a metallic object out of the roadway while shouting, “He pulled a knife. I got it right there sir. Here’s the knife right there, sir. I didn’t touch it.”

Lt. Daniels made contact with Mr. Matsos, who was standing next to his wheelchair. He kept repeating, “This is a public highway. This is a public highway.” As Lt. Daniels was explaining to me Mr. Matsos pulled a knife out on someone, he yelled, “I did it.”

I instructed Mr. Matsos to placed his hands behind his back, he was under arrest. Mr. Matsos complied and did not resist. While being handcuffed, he stated, “This guy was coming after me. He was coming after me. I did pull it on him and I was awaying away.”

While Lt. Daniels took control of Mr. Matsos, I walked away to collect the knife. The knife was located on the northbound side of the roadway, in the general walking area of the event guest entering the festival. It was observed to be a chrome knife with a black handle. Although it was a folding knife, Mr. Matsos left the blade open and exposed in a highly traveled area that also included kids.

I spoke with an unnamed witness who informed me of the following, “Did they tell you what he had done? He walked all the way down, just cussing everybody, little kids and children. Then came back down the other side and figured he’d still keep doing it.”

Speaking with Lt. Daniels, he received witness and victim statements both stating, while Mr. Matsos was brandishing the recovered knife, he told the victim, [VICTIM #1], he was going to stab him. Mr. Matsos made the statement he saw we (police) were coming to talk to him, so he threw the knife down in the street.

Due to the above, Mr. Matsos was charged with Disorderly Conduct; when without provocation, uses to or of another person in such other person’s presence, opprobrious or abusive words which by their very utterance tend to incite to an immediate breach of the peace, that is to say, words which as a matter of common knowledge and under ordinary circumstances will, when used to or of another person in such other person’s presence, naturally tend to provoke violent resentment, that is, words commonly called “fighting words”; or without provocation, uses obscene and vulgar or profane language in the presence of or by telephone to a person under the age of 14 years which threatens an immediate breach of the peace.

Terroristic Threats and Acts; when he or she threatens to commit any crime of violence, to release any hazardous substance, as such term is defined in Code Section 12-8-92, or to burn or damage property with the purpose of terrorizing another or of causing the evacuation of a building, place of assembly, or facility of public transportation or otherwise causing serious public inconvenience or in reckless disregard of the risk of causing such terror or inconvenience. No person shall be convicted under this subsection on the uncorroborated testimony of the party to whom the threat is communicated.

Reckless Conduct; A person who causes bodily harm to or endangers the bodily safety of another person by consciously disregarding a substantial and unjustifiable risk that his or her act or omission will cause harm or endanger the safety of the other person and the disregard constitutes a gross deviation from the standard of care which a reasonable person would exercise in the situation.

Mr. Matsos was handcuffed with both his hands doubled locked behind his back, searched with nothing illegal located on his person, placed in the rear seat of my patrol vehicle, and transported to the Glynn County Detention Center, where he was charged with the above mentioned statutes.

Prior to transfer of custody, the intake officer informed me GCSO also had an active warrant for Mr. Matsos for Terroristic Threats (Failure to Appear). The warrant was served and he was released to the intake officer.

[End of Narrative]