Former Falcon Heights Fire Chief Rich Hinrichs, who was arrested this week on allegations that he threatened city leaders, was released from jail Thursday pending further investigation, according to a statement from the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office.
Sheriff's deputies arrested Hinrichs on Tuesday night on suspicion of making terroristic threats.
Falcon Heights City Administrator Sack Thongvanh said he and a council member were the targets of the threats.
In March, the Falcon Heights City Council voted unanimously to fire Hinrichs, citing his angry outbursts and disrespectful language. Hinrichs is a St. Paul firefighter who had worked for Falcon Heights on a paid, on-call basis. He had served as fire chief in the city since 2015.
Hinrichs has said that his firing felt like a "witch hunt" and resulted from personality conflicts.
Falcon Heights, population 5,600, occupies 2.3 square miles on St. Paul's north border. The department has one firehouse.
