MIDLAND, Texas — A group of people from out of town came in to support businesses that are opening up before the state government gave the go-ahead.
As the days have passed, tensions have risen with people calling for Ector County Sheriff Mike Griffis' job.
It didn't stop there.
Griffis has received death threats in the last couple of days. As of Wednesday, the protesters tried to take the protest to Griffis' house.
This has become a war of words now.
"The sheriff needs to resign and what he did the other day was unconstitutional and an inappropriate show of force against people who are just standing around doing nothing peacefully," Philip Archibald, one of the protesters, said.
Archibald was referring to the armed protest that took place on Monday at Big Daddy Zane's bar in West Odessa.
Eight people were arrested on Monday. Since then, more people coming from out of town once rallying to reopen small businesses are now rallying against the sheriff's office.
Odessa Mayor David Turner says Griffis has his full support on whatever steps should be taken next.
"He has the full resources of the city if he needs it. I’ll stand side-by-side with him. I don’t know if there’s any plans or not but they’re not gonna tell me that just because you know anything I say is public notice," Turner said.
Turner believes that this group has taken things too far at this point.
"Well I support him, and they have the right to protest. And I support that, but the death threats are over the line. I hope they catch them and put them in jail," Turner said.
Griffis is tired of everything going on and he's ready for these people to take off.
"All these people that are here from wherever you came from, just go home and get yourself a job," Griffis said.
As for Griffis, he might get his wish as early as Thursday morning.
"We have another place to go to in Shepherd, Texas so we’re gonna pretty much just relax cause we’re strung out from this as I’m sure y’all are. Y’all have been pretty much with me everywhere. We’re just gonna relax, eat some food, and head out in the morning," Archibald said.
Griffis and the sheriff's office said in an earlier interview that they are looking into these death threats and intend to take legal action on those people.
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