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Author Topic: West Fertilizer Co., West, TX Explosion-15 Dead, Over 200 Wounded  (Read 161002 times)
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« Reply #120 on: May 10, 2013, 02:42:50 PM »

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/10/west-texas-explosion/2150461/
Paramedic from Texas plant blast arrested
May 10, 2013

A volunteer paramedic who was one of the first on the scene of a fire and massive explosion last month at a fertilizer plant in West, Texas, was arrested early Friday and charged with possession of a destructive device, The Dallas Morning News reported.

Officials have not said whether the arrest of Bryce Reed, 31, is related to the April 17 explosion at the West Fertilizer Co. that killed 14 people, injured around 200 and destroyed hundreds of homes in the vicinity, the newspaper said.

The arrest came as Texas law enforcement officials on Friday said they had launched a criminal investigation into the massive fertilizer plant explosion.

News 92 FM in Houston reported that Reed, who is with the West Emergency Medical Services, was one of the early first responders to the scene of the catastrophe and was assigned to be the incident commander at the scene. News 92 FM said authorities indicated that the explosive device was a pipe bomb.

U.S. Marshals arrested Reed around 2 a.m. and and booked him into McLennan County Jail in Waco, the News reported.


The newspaper said Reed had spoken to The Dallas Morning News and the Los Angeles Times in the immediate aftermath of the explosion about his experience.

In the interview with the Los Angeles Times on the day after the explosion, Reed said that his best friend, an emergency worker, had also responded to the fire that preceded the blast.

Bryce Reed said he was ordered to go just south of the fire to take over as incident commander while his friend stayed at the scene of the blaze and was there when the explosion occurred.

"He was my best friend. He got me help through the crisis in my life. He's my brother," Reed told the Times.
 
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« Reply #121 on: May 10, 2013, 02:53:29 PM »

http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/former-ems-volunteer-arrested-on-possession-of-destructive-device-charge-firefighter-explosion-206912431.html
Rangers launch West blast investigation, won't say if arrest is related
May 10, 2013
Posted on May 10, 2013 at 8:57 AM
Updated today at 1:03 PM

WEST –– Bryce Reed, a volunteer paramedic who frequently spoke with the media during the aftermath of the West explosion, was arrested Friday and faces a charge of possession of a destructive device.
Reed, who served as a volunteer for West Emergency Medical Services, was arrested Thursday morning and booked in the McLennan County Jail. He was later picked up by the U.S. Marshals and is currently in their custody.
Sources familiar with the case said Reed, 31, is suspected of being in possession of possible bomb making materials. He was scheduled to appear before a federal magistrate judge Friday morning in Waco.
At this point, agents have not connected the arrest to the April 17 West Fertilizer Co. explosion that killed 15, including 12 first responders. One of Reed's neighbors, who spoke on a condition of anonymity, told News 8's David Schechter that he reported Reed to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms because Reed claimed to have made a pipe bomb that he took to another home.
A spokesman for the ATF has not responded to a request for comment.
 
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« Reply #122 on: May 10, 2013, 03:21:23 PM »

http://news92fm.com/351655/breaking-west-texas-ems-worker-charged-with-possession-of-destructive-device/
BREAKING: West Texas EMS Worker Charged with Possession of Pipe Bomb
May 10, 2013

WEST, TX – A sealed warrant lead to the arrest of a first responder in the central Texas town of West.
Bryce Reed was booked into the McLennan County jail at 5:10 a.m. Friday. He faces a federal charge of possession of a destructive device.
Authorities indicate the 31-year-old had a pipe bomb.
According to sources, Reed asked an acquaintance to store a box for him sometime after the April 19 explosive at the West Fertilizer Company. That person reportedly found what appeared to be a pipe bomb in the box. Authorities were then contacted which led to the investigation.
Reed was one of the first to arrive at the catastrophic explosion at the fertilizer plant in April. He was assigned to be the incident commander at the scene.
It is too early to determine if this federal charge is in any way connected to the explosion. Sources indicate they did not believe he was but he may get a second look now from federal and state agencies.
 
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« Reply #123 on: May 10, 2013, 03:29:53 PM »

http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/05/10/4841154/west-paramedic-arrested-for-possessing.html
West paramedic arrested for having a destructive device
May 10, 2013

A West paramedic was arrested early Friday for possessing a destructive device and later appeared before a federal magistrate.

Bryce Ashley Reed, 31, a volunteer paramedic with West EMS, was arrested by federal marshals about 2 a.m. Friday. He was being held without bond, according to jail records.
Also Friday, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw directed the Texas Rangers to join McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara in a criminal investigation of the April 17 fertilizer plant explosion in West that killed 15 and injured 200.
 
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.

 

In his last Facebook post on Wednesday, Reed wrote: “I just wanted to tell everyone thank you for all the prayers and support. I'm going to take a break from Facebook to reflect. I assure you that I'm ok. God bless you all, and please if you heed nothing else I have said, love one another. God bless. Bryce.”

A spokeswoman with State Fire Marshal’s Office, which has been the lead agency in investigating the cause of the investigation, declined to comment about the arrest.

Reed was scheduled to make an initial appearance before Federal Magistrate Jeffrey C. Manske at 10:15 a.m. in Waco. It was not open to the public.
 

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« Reply #124 on: May 10, 2013, 03:34:49 PM »

http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/former-ems-volunteer-arrested-on-possession-of-destructive-device-charge-firefighter-explosion-206912431.html
Affidavit: EMS volunteer admitted to owning components of pipe bomb
May 10, 2013

 
One of Reed's neighbors, who spoke on a condition of anonymity, told News 8's David Schechter that he reported Reed to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms because Reed claimed to have made a pipe bomb that he took to another home.
According to an affidavit released Friday afternoon, the McLennan County Sheriff's Office were called on May 7 to an Abbott residence, where they found components of a pipe bomb, including a galvanized pipe and individual bags of chemical powders. The affidavit went on to say that Reed, 31, gave the items to a resident of the home on April 26 and that he later admitted to "possessing the components of the pipe bomb."
Reed appeared before a federal magistrate judge Friday morning in Waco. Another hearing was scheduled on May 15.
At this point, agents have not connected the arrest to the April 17 West Fertilizer Co. explosion that killed 15, including 12 first responders.
The Texas Rangers are now assisting the McLennan County Sheriff's Department with a criminal investigation into the cause of the fatal explosion at the West Fertilizer Co. 
The Texas Department of Public Safety issued a release announcing the investigation on Friday. Other than two prepared quotes from DPS Director Steven McCraw and Sheriff Parnell McNamara, details are thin.
 
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« Reply #125 on: May 10, 2013, 03:37:54 PM »

http://www.myfoxdfw.com/story/22216539/west-emt-arrested-destructive-device
West EMT arrested for possession of destructive device; criminal investigation launched
May 10, 2013
Posted: May 10, 2013 9:15 AM CDT
Updated: May 10, 2013 2:34 PM CDT

 
Federal officials said in a statement on Friday that deputies from the McLennand County Sheriff's office were called to a house in Abbott, just minutes away from West, where a person found bomb making components that Reed had given to him the previous week.

Reed admitted to officials he had possessed the various components.

Records indicate the bomb making components included a galvanized metal pipe 3 1/2 inches by 1 1/2 inches. Attached to the pipe were two galvanized end caps, one which had a hole drilled in it.

Other items found included hobby fuse, a lighter, scale, coils of metal ribbon and "several pounds of chemical powders in individual bags."
 
Reed made an appearance in federal court in Waco on Friday, but the hearing was closed to media.

His next court appearance is set for May 15.

In a previous version of this report, we indicated there was a connection between Bryce Reed and the explosion in West, Texas. Such statement was posted in error and as of Friday, May 10 at 1:25 p.m., authorities have not made any such connection.
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« Reply #126 on: May 10, 2013, 03:41:12 PM »

May 10, 2013 Tweets
https://twitter.com/fwhanna

Bill Hanna ‏@fwhanna 2h
More details on West paramedic arrest for possessing a destructive device |  ... http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/05/10/4841154/west-paramedic-arrested-for-possessing.html?storylink=addthis#.UY0uEgqGkxk.twitter … +@startelegram

 Bill Hanna ‏@fwhanna 3h
West paramedic arrested for possessing a destructive device | Breaking News | News from ... http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/05/10/4841154/west-paramedic-arrested-for-possessing.html?storylink=addthis#.UY0XKxAzEfI.twitter … +@startelegram
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« Reply #127 on: May 10, 2013, 04:00:31 PM »

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/west-explosion/headlines/20130510-authorities-not-saying-whether-west-explosion-criminal-probe-paramedic-s-arrest-connected.ece
Authorities not saying whether West explosion criminal probe linked to paramedic's arrest
May 10, 2013

 
As Reed remained in federal custody of the Bureau of Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on Friday, divergent portraits of the man emerged.
After answering the door at his Rockwall home Friday, Gary Nelson said he couldn’t believe the charges against his stepson. He said there is “not a chance” that Reed was involved in the deadly explosion.
“He's been tore up about it,” Nelson said, adding that the family is “100 percent behind him.”
But the sister of a firefighter Reed eulogized at a public memorial last month said she had to ask police to guard her deceased brother’s apartment because she feared Reed had been stealing from it since the blast.
“Instead of grieving my brother's death, we're dealing with all of this,” said Sarah Reed, who is not related to Bryce Reed. 
Bryce Reed’s wife, Brittany Reed, declined to comment when reached by phone early Friday.
“I can’t. No comment, no comment, no comment right now,” she said before hanging up the phone.
Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw and McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara released a joint statement Friday morning about the criminal investigation. Neither mentioned Reed’s arrest.
“The citizens of McLennan County and Texas must have confidence that this incident has been looked at from every angle and professionally handled – they deserve nothing less,” McNamara said. 
Bryce Reed’s neighbors on Main Street north of downtown West on Friday said that ATF agents were at the man’s home for several hours late Thursday afternoon. The neighbors declined to give their names but said Bryce Reed had a young daughter and that he hadn’t been staying at the home since the explosion.
At last month’s public memorial for the 12 people killed responding to the fire, Reed gave a heartfelt and often humorous eulogy for Cyrus Reed, who was a volunteer firefighter in nearby Abbott. The two men weren’t related, though they shared the same last name and Bryce Reed often referred to Cyrus Reed as his brother.
In a video that aired at the memorial, Bryce Reed said Cyrus Reed lived life to the fullest. He said Cyrus Reed also loved fire and was known for backyard high jinks that included shooting BB guns at pressurized cans of processed cheese.
“He would giggle and then proceed to plead his case and say, ‘You don’t understand, it was like 15 feet in the air and it spun and it was so cool,’” Bryce Reed said at the April 25 memorial in Waco that was attended by Gov. Rick Perry and President Barack Obama. 
But Sarah Reed, who is Cyrus Reed’s biological sister, said her family had been “fooled by Bryce Reed.” She said that her family let Bryce Reed eulogize their relative because he led them to believe that he and Cyrus Reed were very close.
Sarah Reed said she and her family have gone through Cyrus Reed's computer and cellphone records and have found that the two first responders might not have been as close as the suspect led the public to believe, she said.
“He convinced us that he and Cyrus were very close, like brothers," she said. "But I want people to know they are not brothers, and he is not part of our family."

Bryce Reed’s Facebook page indicates that some people may have accused him of profiting off of donations. He described this week as a trying one, posting on Monday that he is "appalled at how people are tearing me apart."
“I have not received ONE CENT for ANYTHING that I did to help with this situation,” Bryce Reed wrote on Tuesday. “I have not been paid by the media, by press, I made nothing for delivering my brothers eulogy, and made NOTHING off of this tragedy. I was a shoulder to cry on, I found a GREAT new family, and was blessed to get to tell them about their son.”
Before his arrest, Bryce Reed had spoken to the media — including The Dallas Morning News and the Los Angeles Times — about his experience responding to the explosion. The News does not pay interview subjects and did not pay Reed.
 
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« Reply #128 on: May 10, 2013, 04:24:11 PM »

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/breaking-news/paramedic-in-west-arrested-on-destructive-device-c/nXnWc/
Paramedic in West arrested on destructive device charge; criminal investigation into explosion launched
Updated: 2:43 p.m. Friday, May 10, 2013 | Posted: 11:54 a.m. Friday, May 10, 2013

 
The paramedic, 31-year old Bryce Reed, was arrested in West yesterday and appeared in federal court this morning in Waco, where he remains in custody, officials said, pending a detention hearing May 15. If convicted, Reed faces up to 10 years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine.
According to the federal complaint, McLennan County sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a residence in the nearby town of Abbott yesterday, where they found “an assortment of bomb making components” that the resident had “unwittingly” been given by Reed on April 26, nine days after the explosion.
The affadavit filed with the complaint said the components included a galvanized metal pipe, hobby fuse, lighter and several pounds of chemical powders — ingredients for a pipe bomb.
The Texas Department of Public Safety and the McLennan County sheriff announced Friday that they would open a criminal investigation into the plant explosion.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has led an investigation into the explosion since shortly after the incident, on April 17.
Asked Friday morning if the investigation had turned up evidence that the fire was not accidental, Franceska Perot, a spokeswoman at the ATF, said no.

As of Tuesday, the investigation into the origin and cause of the West Fertilizer Plant fire and explosion is ongoing, according to officials with the ATF and the state fire marshal’s office. Investigators eliminated the following causes for the origin of the fire: lightning, anhydrous ammonium, a railcar containing ammonium nitrate, and a fire within the ammonium nitrate bin. Additionally, investigators concluded water used during fire fighting activities did not contribute to the cause of the explosion.
Investigators say the origin of the fire was in the fertilizer and seed building, but they continue to work on pinpointing an exact location of origin.
 
At a hearing at the Capitol on May 1, Kelly Kistner, the assistant state fire marshal, said investigators had not shut out the possibility of terrorism or criminal activity.
“A criminal act has not been eliminated,” he said.
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« Reply #129 on: May 10, 2013, 04:59:07 PM »

http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/Widow-Of-Firefighter-Killed-In-West-Blast-Sues-206953911.html#.UY1dwis4Xik
Widow Of Firefighter Killed In West Blast Sues
May 10, 2013

WEST (May 10, 2013)—The widow of a Dallas firefighter who died while helping battle the April 17 fire at West Fertilizer Co. has filed a lawsuit against the plant and its owners.

Dallas Fire-Rescue Capt. Kenneth “Luckey” Harris, Jr., 52, was among the first responders killed in the powerful explosion, which claimed the lives of 15 people, left about 200 injured, and damaged or destroyed scores of homes and buildings in the town of 1,700.

The suit brought by lawyers for Harris’ widow Holly names West Fertilizer and Adair Grain Company, both of West, and Scottie Isham, as defendants and lists Harris’ three grown sons as among the plaintiffs.
 
The lawsuit was filed in Waco's 170th State District Court, district clerk's office records showed Friday.

The sixth lawsuit was filed earlier in 170th District Court by plaintiffs Carmen Bridges, along with Brent Wayne Bridges, Louise A. Mills and two other minors.

Another, filed in 74th District Court, names Joshua Zarecor as plaintiff and it adds Texas Grain Storage and West Folour Mill as defendants.

Yet another lawsuit filed in 414th District Court is filed by Admiral Insurance Company as plaintiff.

Lawsuits previously filed include one brought by a couple from West who were injured in the deadly fertilizer plant explosion.

The petition alleges Mrs. Bowles was thrown by the explosion and suffered a broken jaw, loosened teeth, a perforated eardrum, and loss of hearing.

Another was filed by Andrea Jones Guetirrez and it names Adair Grain and West Fertilizer as co-defendants.

Guetirrez is seeking between $500,000 and $1 million in damages.

The first suit filed was brought by four separate insurance companies, names Adair Grain and West Fertilizer as co-defendants.

The insurance companies have policies which protect several businesses.
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« Reply #130 on: May 10, 2013, 05:22:14 PM »

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/texas/destructive-device-arrest-made-in-west
Feds: West EMS worker had 'bomb-making components'
Won't speculate on connection to April 17 blast

Updated: Friday, 10 May 2013, 3:40 PM CDT
Published : Friday, 10 May 2013, 9:37 AM CDT

 
The U.S. Department of Justice said in a news released that Bryce Ashley Reed, 31, was arrested Thursday by agents with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

According to an affidavit released by the federal court in Waco, the McLennan County Sheriff's Office was called on Tuesday to home in Abbott, which is near West, about "a possible destructive device" and related items. The affidavit said that law enforcement officials determined that the device and related items belonged to Reed.

The affidavit describes the material found as a 3.5-inch galvanized metal pipe an inch and a half in diameter. Two galvanized end caps were attached to the pipe. One end cap had a small hole drilled into it.

Canisters containing a fuse, a lighter, six coils of metal ribbon and several pounds of chemical powders were also found. The powders were described as potassium nitrate, aluminum powder, red iron oxide, ammonium perchlorate, sulfur powder and other materials.

The affidavit said that the materials had been left in the home by Reed on April 26, but the person at the home did not what had been left.

Potassium nitrate is used in fertilizers and can also be used in fireworks and gunpowder. Aluminum powder, potassium nitrate and sulfur are common ingredients in flash powder. The affidavit said ATF explosives and chemistry experts determined that the materials "can be readily assembled into a destructive device."

The sheriff's office warned against jumping to any conclusions based on what officials have released so far.

“It is important to emphasize that at this point, no evidence has been uncovered to indicate any connection to the events surrounding the fire and subsequent explosion at the fertilizer plant and the arrest of Bryce Reed by the ATF,” the office said in a news release.

Reed, acted as the town's spokesman in the aftermath of the blast, had a court appearance in Waco on Friday and will remain in custody pending a detention hearing on Wednesday.
 
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« Reply #131 on: May 10, 2013, 06:03:29 PM »

http://www.austinchronicle.com/blogs/news/2013-05-10/west-investigation-now-criminal-investigation/
West Investigation Now Criminal Investigation
Law enforcement makes arrest, will not state if connected

May 10, 2013

 
Less than two hours later, the Dallas Morning News broke the news that Bryce Ashley Reed, an EMT who responded to the West explosion, had been arrested on Thursday for possession of the components of a pipe bomb, and had been charged with possession of a destructive device
According to the complaint filed today in the Western District, McLennan law enforcement officers were called to a residence in Abbott, Texas on May 7. They discovered a components for a "possible destructive device," including a 3.5 inch by 1.5 inch galvanized metal pipe with a 1/8 inch drilled hole, plus fuses, metal ribbon, and "several pounds of chemical powders in individual bags." According to the affadavit, the owner of the material had "unwittingly taken possession of the components from Reed on April 26," nine days after the explosion.
It is unclear whether this morning's DPS statement and Reed's arrest are connected, or whether this is simply coincidental timing. After all, no-one in Texas wants a repetition of what happened to Richard Jewell, the security guard falsely accused of the 1996 Centennial Park bombing in Atlanta.
Any investigation may be complicated by the sheer number of explosive devices in circulation. Far from being an oddity, there are hundreds of domestic bombings and bomb-related incidents every year in the US, mostly arson or backyard experimenters. In a 2009 article on the bureau's website, FBI Laboratory examiner Kirk Yaeger said, "Probably once a month I hear from law enforcement somewhere about someone blowing their hand off while experimenting in this manner."
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« Reply #132 on: May 10, 2013, 06:08:45 PM »

http://www.wacotrib.com/news/mclennan_county/west-blast-victims-may-not-get-property-tax-relief/article_f65c7020-1709-5aec-84eb-16c6d73d63b1.html
West blast victims may not get property tax relief
May 10, 2013

Some West residents may end up paying taxes this year on homes that no longer exist.
Residents whose homes were damaged or destroyed in the April 17 West Fertilizer Co. explosion have until the end of May to protest the appraisals on which property taxes are based.
But under state law, appraisal values are supposed to reflect the value of the property on Jan. 1 of the tax year. That means the McLennan County Appraisal District isn’t authorized to take into account damage to the property since then, Chief Appraiser Drew Hahn said.
Hahn said his office is encouraging affected residents to file a protest anyway, allowing them to meet personally with an appraiser and seek a value adjustment. Afterward, they can take their case to the Appraisal Review Board, which is independent of the appraisal district staff.
“We’re going to do everything we can to work with them,” Hahn said. “But we’re duty-bound to follow the law, and we get audited by the State Comptroller’s Office.”
Hahn said that Section 23.03 of the Texas Property Tax Code allows local governments to authorize reappraisals after natural disasters, but the fertilizer plant explosion wouldn’t qualify.
Hahn estimated that West lost at least $29 million in taxable value as a result of the blast, not counting damage to nontaxable property such as schools, water tanks and infrastructure.
That amount represents more than one-fifth of West’s tax base of $140.4 million, according to preliminary values. Hahn said losing that much revenue this year would hobble the finances of the city and West Independent School District when they need the money the most.
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« Reply #133 on: May 10, 2013, 06:34:58 PM »

http://www.wacotrib.com/news/west_explosion/update-feds-will-not-speculate-whether-pipe-bomb-components-related/article_497ff644-0631-53c4-8181-755e1743aa39.html#.UY1zOwqf1jc.twitter
Update: Feds ‘will not speculate’ whether pipe bomb components related to West explosion
Posted: Friday, May 10, 2013 11:40 am | Updated: 2:50 pm, Fri May 10, 2013.

 
A sworn affidavit signed by an ATF special agent reports McLennan County sheriff’s deputies were called to an undisclosed residence in Abbott on Tuesday, where they discovered components that experts say could be used to make a pipe bomb, including a 3.5-by-1.5-inch galvanized pipe, and canisters containing a hobby fuse, a lighter, digital scale, plastic spoon and six coils of ribbon. Agents also found several pounds of bagged chemical powders, including potassium nitrate, aluminum powder, red iron oxide, ammonium perchlorate, potassium perchlorate, sulfur powder, air float charcoal and Eckart 10890 German Dark Aluminum, the court documents state.
An investigation determined that the unnamed resident at the home “had unwittingly taken possession of the components from Reed” on April 26. Reed has admitted to possessing the components of a pipe bomb to law enforcement officials, according to the affidavit.
Reed is in federal custody, and scheduled for a detention hearing Wednesday.
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« Reply #134 on: May 10, 2013, 06:56:35 PM »

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/west-explosion/headlines/20130510-paramedic-arrested-friday-was-fired-2-days-after-west-plant-explosion.ece
Paramedic arrested Friday was fired 2 days after West plant explosion
May 10, 2013

WEST –  The U.S. Attorney’s Office on Friday afternoon said it “will not speculate” on whether a pipe bomb allegedly belonging to a West paramedic has any connection with the fatal fertilizer plant fire and explosion that he responded to.
Bryce Reed, who told The Dallas Morning News that he assumed radio command of the April 17 incident after the explosion killed his superiors and colleagues, was accused Friday of giving an “assortment of bomb making components” to an unnamed person in nearby Abbott on April 26, nine days after the explosion.
Hours after his arrest, the Texas Rangers and McLennan County Sheriff’s office launched a criminal investigation into the plant explosion but did not say what role, if any, the federal charges against Reed played in their decision.
Also on Friday, West officials for the first time notified the state agency that licenses paramedics that Reed was let go two days after the blast, according to records obtained by The News. The emails do not explain his termination.
Dr. George Smith, medical director of West EMS, declined to comment late Friday afternoon as to why Reed was let go last month. West Police Chief James Lawhorn also declined to comment about the situation.

 
Reed was charged Friday with possession of a destructive device. He faces 10 years in prison. Reed made an initial appearance in federal court in Waco on Friday but did not enter a plea.
According to an affidavit from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, someone who lives in Abbott called the McLennan County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday about a “possible destructive device” that they had “unwittingly taken possession of” from Reed.
Authorities found a 3.5-inch long galvanized metal pipe with a 1.5-inch diameter that had galvanized end caps. There was also a lighter and several pounds of chemical powders in individual bags, special ATF agent Douglas J. Kunze wrote in his affidavit. A U.S. Justice Department press release said Reed gave the component to the Abbott resident on April 26.
As Reed remained in federal custody of the Bureau of Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on Friday, divergent portraits of the man emerged.
After answering the door at his Rockwall home Friday, Gary Nelson said he couldn’t believe the charges against his stepson. He said there is “not a chance” that Reed was involved in the deadly explosion.
“He's been tore up about it,” Nelson said, adding that the family is “100 percent behind him.”
 
Bryce Reed’s neighbors on Main Street north of downtown West on Friday said that ATF agents were at the man’s home for several hours late Thursday afternoon. The neighbors declined to give their names but said Bryce Reed had a young daughter and that he hadn’t been staying at the home since the explosion.
 
Before his arrest, Bryce Reed had spoken to the media — including The Dallas Morning News and the Los Angeles Times — about his experience responding to the explosion. The News does not pay interview subjects and did not pay Reed.
Bryce Reed told The News that he was home with his wife on April 17 when they heard about a fire at the plant. He said the two drove through the residential streets north of downtown West and headed toward the plant. He said he saw Cyrus Reed’s truck at the plant and then drove away to help evacuate people who lived nearby.
Bryce Reed and his wife felt the boom from the explosion 10 seconds later, he told The News. 
He said he doubled back to the plant to help search for and treat any survivors, then assumed command on the radio when he realized his superiors had died in the explosion.
Bryce Reed was also an instructor for an EMS class, according to Amanda Atkins, a student.
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MuffyBee
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« Reply #135 on: May 10, 2013, 07:03:39 PM »

I wonder what was going on in Bryce Reed's life? He went on leave early last month before the West explosion and was fired two days after the explosion?  And now he's been arrested?

May 10, 2013 Tweets

Tami Carr ‏@CarrTami 2h
Bryce Reed is a paramedic for Children's Medical Ctr in Dallas; went on leave early last month, before #West explosion, reports @cbs11jack.

 Tami Carr ‏@CarrTami 3h
31-year-old Bryce Reed is a volunteer paramedic with West EMS.

 Tami Carr ‏@CarrTami 3h
Authorities will not speculate whether the destructive device has any
connection to the West explosion.

 Tami Carr ‏@CarrTami 3h
The paramedic who helped after the West fertilizer plant explosion & is now charged w/possessing bomb-making materials is in federal custody
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« Reply #136 on: May 10, 2013, 07:04:23 PM »

Here's the twitter link for above:  https://twitter.com/carrtami
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« Reply #137 on: May 10, 2013, 07:12:40 PM »

Link to criminal complaint against Bryce Ashley Reed:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/140671732/Criminal-complaint-against-Bryce-Ashley-Reed
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« Reply #138 on: May 10, 2013, 07:20:42 PM »

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-west-pipe-bomb-20130510,0,1771842.story#tugs_story_display
West, Texas, paramedic appears in court on pipe bomb charges
May 10, 2013

HOUSTON -- A paramedic who responded to the massive explosion in West, Texas, last month was arrested Friday after federal investigators discovered he had the makings of a pipe bomb, authorities said.

It was not clear whether the arrest was connected to the ongoing investigation of the April 17 explosion, which killed 14 people and wounded more than 160.

West Paramedic Bryce Reed appeared Friday in federal court in the county seat of Waco, Texas, on federal charges of unlawfully possessing an unregistered destructive device, according to a statement released to the Los Angeles Times by U.S. Attorney Robert Pitman and ATF Special Agent in Charge Robert Champion.

Reed was appointed an attorney and did not enter a plea, court staff told The Times. That attorney, Waco-based lawyer Jonathan Sibley, did not return calls Friday.

Also, the judge initially sealed the complaint pending Reed's first appearance, then unsealed it Friday. Reed appeared via videoconference, according to court records.

The charges were filed against Reed, 31, after McLennan County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched Tuesday to a residence in Abbott, Texas, where they discovered "an assortment of bomb-making components," according to a federal criminal complaint filed Friday by the ATF.

Reed apparently "admitted to possessing the components of the pipe bomb," according to the complaint.

The bomb-making material included a 3.5-inch length of galvanized metal pipe with two galvanized end caps attached, one of which had a 1/8-inch hole drilled in it, according to the complaint. There were also canisters containing hobby fuse, a lighter, a digital scale, a plastic spoon, six coils of metal ribbon, and several pounds of chemical powders in individual bags, including: potassium nitrate, potassium perchlorate, aluminum powder, red iron oxide, ammonium perchlorate, sulfur powder, air float charcoal and Eckart 10890 German dark aluminum.

An ATF chemist and explosives expert confirmed the components were bomb-making materials, according to the complaint.
 

Among the comments:  (I've been seeing a number of comments similar to this one posted after various articles)
Spyderdan at 3:40 PM May 10, 2013
Sounds like guilty until proven innocent to me.
The local authorities must be getting pretty desperate to go after a guy with nothing more than a metal pipe and firework ingredients.
Some old sticks of dynamite are much more dangerous.
Let this be a lesson to all you free people, don't take apart any fire crackers!
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« Reply #139 on: May 10, 2013, 07:30:34 PM »

I wondered earlier in a post  what was going on in Bryce Reed's life? He went on leave early last month at his job as paramedic at Children's Medical Centre in Dallas before the West explosion and was fired two days after the explosion from his volunteer paramedic position with West EMS, his wife left him and today the fed's have him behind bars.   

http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2013/05/west_paramedic_whose_brother_d.php
Bryce Reed, a West EMT Whose Best Friend Died in Blast, Arrested for Having "Destructive Device" [Updated]
May 10, 2013, 10:06 (Updated below)

 
Update, 1:08 p.m.: The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that "unnamed federal sources" told TV station KPRC that the "destructive device" was a pipe bomb:

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.
Reed's recent posts on Facebook have been deeply distraught. He repeatedly denies having received any money for his media interviews after the West bombing, and speaks about his grief over Cyrus Reed's death, as well as the death soon after of another friend in an unrelated incident. He also mentions in a May 7 post that his wife recently left him. Part of the post reads:

Have your brother die, your town explode, your crew be emotionally wrecked, and in the midst of it have your wife leave you because you are lost in your own emotions: ALL IN THE SAME WEEK, and see how you fare. People I am doing my BEST to hold myself together, but please for the love of God quit picking me apart. I have to bury yet ANOTHER friend tomorrow. God Bless
On Wednesday, Reed wrote that he was taking a break from posting on the site: "I'm going to take a break from Facebook to reflect. I assure you that I'm ok. God bless you all, and please if you heed nothing else I have said, love one another. God bless. Bryce."

Update, 2:20 p.m.: Jason Trahan over at WFAA has posted a copy of the federal complaint against Reed. The attached affidavit, written by an ATF agent, says that Reed possessed the "components of a pipe bomb," including a metal pipe, end caps, a hobby fuse, a lighter, a plastic spoon, coiled metal ribbons and "several pounds of chemical powders in individual bags."
 
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