MILLCREEK, Utah, Aug. 11, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — A Millcreek man is being held without bail following a SWAT response Wednesday, which was sparked by reports the suspect had a homemade explosive device in his apartment, and had made threats “that he would burn the place down.”
The man was ultimately charged with possession of a hoax weapon of mass destruction, a second-degree felony, his probable cause statement says.
Unified police, alerted to the possible threat, responded to the scene, set up a SWAT response and established containment. Detective Ken Hansen told Gephardt Daily the man came out of his apartment willingly, and no shots were fired.
The suspect waived his Miranda rights and agreed to be interviewed on body camera, the probable cause statement says.
“A SWAT operator asked the AP (accused person) about the device in his apartment stating he didn’t want his fellow SWAT operators to be harmed,” the probable cause statement says.
“The AP stated there were drugs, a 12 gauge shotgun, a 9 mm handgun and in his closet he had a bunch of shotgun shells that he cut up and put in a water bottle which was on a shelf. In the bottle with the cut-up shotgun shells included powder and little pieces of lead, but no fuse.
“The AP told SWAT operators the bottle did not have any way of detonating it and there was nothing in the apartment that would hurt officers.”
The Unified Fire Authority bomb squad located the device described by the suspect and removed it from the premises. The man was taken into custody and booked into jail.
