32-year-old Jason Paul Arnold has been sentenced to serve 5 years in prison after he threatened to start “World War III” with Child Protective Services workers who were in the process of removing his children from his custody.

According to police records, Arnold threatened the CPS workers as they were escorting his children out of the house. Police, who were on the scene for the protection of the CPS workers, intervened and held him in the back of a police cruiser where, according to authorities, he then attempted to commit suicide. Arnold was involuntarily hospitalized following his suicide attempt.

Shortly after this incident, in the same month, Arnold attempted to commit suicide for a second time, although it has not been made public the methods he used. He was once again hospitalized and released.

The following month, Arnold purchased a Winchester .30-06 rifle, 5 boxes of ammunition and a scope, which he attached to the gun. Due to his extensive criminal record, which included violent felonies, Arnold is forbidden by law to own a gun. According to U.S. Attorney Patrick Miles, Arnold used most of the ammunition he purchased shooting targets for practice.

Michigan State Police received a tip that Arnold had acquired the weapon, and obtained a warrant to search his home. MSP officers uncovered the rifle, which had a round in the chamber, in addition to a fully loaded magazine and the attached scope. They also found additional ammunition.

He was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and, although he told the arresting officers that he had only purchased the gun in order to commit suicide, he faced trial in Grand Rapids and was convicted by a jury. The trial only took 1 day.

According to U.S. District Court Judge Robert Holmes Bell, he sentenced Arnold to 5 years in prison because he believed that he intended to harm others with the weapon, regardless of his claims of only wanting to commit suicide.