VERO BEACH — Authorities found firearms and ammunition in a vehicle following a bomb threat that led officials to close the road for several hours Monday and use their own explosive to destroy a suspicious item.
Police found two handguns and several dozen rounds of ammunition in the sports utility vehicle, Vero Beach police spokesman Master Officer Darrell Rivers said. It was unclear if the driver of the vehicle, a 76-year-old unidentified man who police said made the threat, had a concealed carry weapons permit.
Rivers said the man was allowed to carry the weapons under his Second Amendment rights.
The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Bomb Squad responded to the scene and determined the suspicious item was a non-explosive, sheriff’s officials said. Rivers said the man was taken to a mental health facility for an evaluation.
“We are pleased to have a bomb disposal team that is so high-skilled and able to rapidly respond to these incidents across the Treasure Coast,” St. Lucie County Sheriff Ken Mascara said Monday. “It’s just one more way our Treasure Coast law enforcement agencies work together to keep our communities safe.”
The incident unfolded about 2 p.m. Monday. Rivers said the man went to Vero Beach Urgent Family Care on 20th Street earlier for treatment.
The man was carrying a small black box, Rivers said. Rivers said the man made comments to staff he was feeling sick.
The man said if he didn’t get any care, the numbers on the box would tick down to four and something bad would happen, Rivers said. Rives said the man then jumped in his gold Chevy Tahoe and drove to Old Dixie Highway and 16th Street, where police stopped and detained him.
Indian River County sheriff’s K-9 patrol units and the bomb squad also went to the scene.
Police blocked east and westbound traffic on 16th Street from Old Dixie Highway to Highland Avenue for about six hours. The bomb squad set up a mobile command station several feet away from the vehicle.
The squad used a robot to inspect the possible explosive device hidden in a bag inside the vehicle, officials said. The robot removed the bag and placed it in the roadway.
The team then used their own small explosive to blow up the bag, Indian River County Fire Rescue crews said. Later, the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives went to the scene to investigate, Rivers said.
.@stluciesheriff Bomb squad used their own explosive to detonate a bag containing a possible bomb. #VeroNews pic.twitter.com/tyOWyhJTS4
— Nicholas Samuel (@JournalistNickS) December 16, 2019
Police reopened the road by 8 p.m.
Photos by Kaila Jones and Vero Beach Police Department
