West, Texas, Paramedic Arrested, Unclear if Related to Blast: Source

[Hissyspit]

Source: Reuters

West, Texas, paramedic arrested, unclear if related to blast: source

Filed 14 minutes ago
Updated 3 minutes ago

AUSTIN, Texas - A paramedic in West, Texas, has been arrested by federal officials for possession of an explosive device, but it was unclear whether there was a connection to the explosion last month at a fertilizer plant in the town, a source familiar with the matter said on Friday.

"I don't know that they're making that connection," said the source, who asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to speak to the news media.

The April 17 fire and blast at West Fertilizer Co killed 14 people dead and injured about 200 others. The state fire marshal's office has said that ammonium nitrate stored at the plant detonated in the explosion but that the cause of the fire and blast were still being investigated.

(Reporting By Corrie MacLaggan; Editing by Scott Malone and Grant McCool)

RELATED TOPICS Texas Plant Explosion United States

Read more: http://preview.reutersnext.com/2013/5/10/west-texas-paramedic-arrested-unclear-if-related-1

[geek tragedy]

1. He's in federal custody and heading to federal court

http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/2013/05/west-paramedic-arrested-on-charge-of-possession-of-destructive-device.html/

Bryce Reed, 31, was arrested around 2 a.m. and was booked into McLennan County Jail. The U.S. Marshals have since taken him into custody.

...

He is due in federal court in Waco some time after 10 this morning.

[mc51tc]

2. The FBI and Texas DPS

are now considering this a criminal investigation according to KXAS NBC 5, a station in DFW, Texas is reporting on the 11:00 am news now.

[dlwickham]

3. is he brown

if so, then this is terrorism

if not, this is just a crime

[Moostache]

4. This will be interesting to see where it goes now...

I am glad to see this situation is at least not been shoved under a rug and forgotten. Hopefully the entire truth is found and exposed and this tragic loss of life and property is not in vain.

[LeftInTX]

5. Sounds serious

[mc51tc]

6. Dallas T.V. station WFAA is investigating more areas in Texas not enforcing needed regulations

This investigative report by WFAA is an eye opener to the problems of lax regulations in Texas regarding plants like the one that exploded in West. Watch it at the site below:

http://www.wfaa.com/news/investigates/News-8-Investigates-Ellis-County-emergency-readiness-206853711.html

[maddezmom]

7. More info here

-snip
It is not clear if the criminal investigation is related to the arrest of Reed.

Houston TV station KPRC quoted unnamed federal sources as saying Reed had asked an acquaintance to store a box for him sometime after the April 17 explosion. The sources said that person decided to look in the box and discovered what appeared to be a pipe bomb. They then called the McLennan County Sheriff’s office who contacted federal investigators.

On his LinkedIn profile, Reed said he spent time at the U.S. Biological and Chemical Weapon Depot in Ft McClellan, Ala.

Reed also lists one year from 2010-2011 as a technician/regional safety officer for Allied International Emergency LLC., where he said response teams dealt with “Weapons of Mass Destruction Response, Nuclear Event Management, Chemical or Biological Weapons Containment, Large Scale Environmental Loss Mitigation, to DOT/EPA small scale spill cleanup...” The company has three offices, including one in Haltom City but AIE officials didn’t immediately return phone calls seeking comment.

At a memorial service for the fallen first-responders, Reed was part of the videotaped eulogy for Abbott firefighter Cyrus Reed, who died in the explosion. They were not related but Reed was listed as a “brother” in an obituary. A Waco TV station, KWTX, reported that Reed was considered a “brother in arms” to Cyrus Reed.

In his last Facebook post on Wednesday, Reed wrote: “I’m going to take a break from Facebook to reflect. I assure you that I’m OK.”

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/05/10/4841154/west-paramedic-arrested-for-possessing.html#storylink=cpy

[alp227]

8. the state has started a criminal investigation.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/10/justice/texas-explosion-probe/index.html

[kona808]

9. Part-time firefighter charged in Arizona blaze, Suspect apparently wanted to earn money

Not totally unheard of, reminds me of this old story. You can still see the scars from the Rodeo fire.

July 1, 2002 Posted: 5:20 AM EDT (0920 GMT)

SHOW LOW, Arizona (CNN) -- A man who has worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs as a firefighter was charged Sunday with starting two fires in eastern Arizona, one of which evolved into the largest in the state's history.

Leonard Gregg, 29, was arrested in Whiteriver on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation on Saturday night and charged with two federal counts of setting the fires near his hometown of Cibecue on the reservation, according to U.S. Attorney Paul Charlton.

Gregg, who appeared Sunday before a U.S. magistrate in Flagstaff, Arizona, has worked for the BIA as a firefighter in the past on a contract basis, but was not a firefighter for the agency at the time of the blaze.

http://archives.cnn.com/2002/US/07/01/arizona.wildfire/index.html

[blackspade]

10. So, why isn't he being called a terrorist?

Where is Fox news and the rest of the fear mongers?

[Hissyspit]

11. Texas Opening Criminal Investigation Into West Plant Explosion

Texas Opening Criminal Investigation Into West Plant Explosion

ERIC LACH 11:46 AM EDT, FRIDAY MAY 10, 2013

Texas officials on Friday announced that they were launching a criminal investigation into the April 17 fertilizer plant explosion that occurred in West, Texas. Fifteen people were killed in the explosion, and around 200 others were injured.

Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw directed the Texas Rangers to join McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara in the investigation.

“This disaster has severely impacted the community of West, and we want to ensure that no stone goes unturned and that all the facts related to this incident are uncovered,” McCraw said in a statement.

Earlier Friday, authorities arrested a paramedic, Bryce Reed, who was one of the first responders to the scene of last month's fire and explosion. Reed will reportedly be charged with possession of a destructive device, though authorities have not said whether the charge has any connection to last month's incident.

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http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/texas-opening-criminal-investigation-into-west-plant-explosion?ref=fpb