Bomb Squad Detonates Items After Standoff In Wilton Manors Neighborhood
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WILTON MANORS (CBSMiami) – There were tense moments inside a Wilton Manors neighborhood Monday after a police bomb squad was called in to detonate a number of items at a man's home – a man who police said had been setting fires.
Sgt. Christopher Chadwick of Wilton Manors Police told CBS4's Peter D'Oench that police units were dispatched at around 11 a.m. to the home at 400 N.W. 24th St.
"Neighbors were complaining that a man was setting small brush fires and when we got here that man was not able to answer questions in full sentences and was not coherent. We found that there were shotgun shells near the fire," said Chadwick.
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"We further found devices that were a concern so our officers backed off and the Fort Lauderdale police bomb squad was called in," he said. "A robotic device was used and some items were detonated. Now the investigation is ongoing."
Chadwick could not say exactly what the exploded items were. They were blown up at around 3:45 p.m.
Just before that happened, an officer could be heard shouting twice "fire in the hole."
Then there was the sound of an explosion that was captured by CBS4. No one was injured. Neighbors had been evacuated.
Chadwick identified the man in question but CBS4 is not identifying him since he has not been charged. Chadwick said charges are pending.
Neighbors said the man has lived in the home for 15 years and liked to set fires. They said police had been called to his home before. Police could not initially confirm that.
Neighbor Dwayne Quill said he saw something very unusual at the man's home.
"I was coming back from the dentist and I saw an older man and there were a number of fires by his home," he said. "I noticed a number of things were ablaze."
"What did you think when you saw that?" asked D'Oench.
"I thought he was going to burn down the house," said Quill.
He said he was relieved that the Fort Lauderdale Police bomb squad had detonated the items they discovered at the home.
