ar . ▁Bal og un ▁was ▁hand c uff ed ▁and ▁learned ▁F BI ▁agents ▁were ▁investig ating ▁domestic ▁terror ism ▁and ▁had ▁been ▁monitoring ▁him ▁for ▁years ▁for ▁posts ▁on ▁Facebook ▁critic izing ▁police . ▁In ▁particular , ▁posts ▁by ▁Bal og un ▁pra ising ▁Mic ah ▁Johnson , ▁the ▁perpet r ator ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁shooting ▁of ▁Dallas ▁police ▁officers , ▁were ▁c ited ▁as ▁grounds ▁for ▁Bal og un ' s ▁arrest . ▁According ▁to ▁Bal og un ▁he ▁was ▁exer cis ing ▁his ▁right ▁to ▁free ▁speech ▁when ▁he ▁pra ised ▁Johnson , ▁and ▁was ▁not ▁end ors ing ▁violence ▁against ▁individual ▁police ▁officers , ▁but ▁a ▁general ▁struggle ▁against ▁the ▁Dallas ▁Police ▁Department . ▁ ▁The ▁event ▁made ▁world wide ▁news ▁due ▁to ▁Bal og un ▁being ▁the ▁first ▁person ▁ever ▁to ▁be ▁public ly ▁designated ▁a ▁" Black ▁Identity ▁Ext rem ist " ▁by ▁the ▁F BI , ▁spark ing ▁a ▁national ▁debate ▁on ▁the ▁appropri aten ess ▁of ▁that ▁term . ▁In ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁Bal og un ▁had ▁all ▁charges ▁dropped ▁against ▁him . ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁Category : 2 0 1 7 ▁controvers ies ▁Category : 2 1 st - century ▁African - American ▁activ ists ▁Category : Activ ists ▁for ▁African - American ▁civil ▁rights ▁Category : American ▁Marine ▁Corps ▁personnel ▁of ▁the ▁Ira q ▁War ▁Category : Ant i - black ▁rac ism ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Category : Dec ember ▁ 2 0