Edmonds police provided an update Monday afternoon on Saturday’s explosion of a plastic beverage bottle on Highway 99 near 236th Street Southwest.
The incident was reported by an employee at a nearby business, who “heard an explosion and saw smoke,” Edmonds police spokesperson Sgt. Josh McClure said. Officers responded to the area around 1:15 p.m. Saturday afternoon and found debris from an exploded device in the Sunset Building parking lot, located on the east side of the highway. While there were no initial reports of injuries or property damage, officers — assisted by the Washington State Patrol and Everett police — cordoned off the area, shut down nearby roads, and requested a bomb squad to respond to assist in checking for additional devices, McClure added.
After determining the area was safe, officers learned from additional witnesses that this type of explosion had happened a couple of times in recent days. Officers were able to identify a suspect, a 33-year-old Edmonds resident, who admitted to leaving the device in the parking lot. “He had used a plastic beverage bottle and information from the internet to create the device and left it unattended,” McClure said.
Police described the suspect as cooperative and apologetic. He was not arrested at the scene but a charge of abandonment of explosives, a gross misdemeanor, will be forwarded to the Edmonds City Prosecutor, McClure said.
Outrageous this bomber was not arrested. Someone could have been injured
Officers determined that there was no ongoing threat to public safety after contacting the suspect. He was also positively identified and lives locally so there was not a need to take a jail space/cost in this instance. We do our best to balance these factors with each investigation.
Myth Busters got into some trouble some years ago with an explosion experiment. In the military we used to make bottle bombs with the MRE heaters. This just sounds like someone tinkering. The EPD seems to consistently have pretty good judgement on various things.
So..if he was harmless why was he making bombs?
Yes making bombs of unknown strength and leaving them where people – children who could have picked it up wondering what it was – could have died.
This person has such a lack of judgement to do something like that… cooperation or not there should have been serious charges.
Plus he had done it multiple times. Dangerous person.
He should have been arrested. Would you please explain to me what good can come of making a bomb and leaving it in a public place? Do you think it’s best to wait to arrest him after someone is injured or killed? What message does this send to him and others like him?
This is a video of someone making a plastic water bottle bomb.
https://youtu.be/xVkqYGCBhzA
There’s a lot of levels to this, and we don’t have all the details, but unless you all want to arrest the man yourself, leave it to the judgement of the EPD. Calm down everyone.
Police need to arrest, drunk drivers, child molesters, domestic abusers, identity crooks, mail thieves and other serious law breakers. This guy needs to be offered deferred arrest in exchange for about a month of picking up plastic and dog poop along our city streets. At least it would make him good for something rather than just a public menace.
Clinton, I agree 100%. It’s starts small then grows. After pop bomb what else?? Odd place to start. When Private schools get painted or defaced the entire study body has to clean it up if they can’t find the offender. Teaches the kids many things.
I’m gonna make these bombs with my kids. Teach moderation.